Tale of Stardom
by MisterP
Summary: Sequel to From Servant to Stardom. The prevention of the darkest fate of all creatures, human and Pokémon, told in a legendary tale. AbilityShipping, AshxAnabel, SatoLila, MirrorRivalShipping, minor LithiumShipping. Officially Discontinued
1. Home

**Hello.**

**It's great to be back in business after that long rest. There was not much for me to do lately, so I went ahead and started this beginning chapter. I'll admit that the format of the chapter is kind of unconventional, but I am following and enacting my own plans. Trust my judgment and it will get you far. It is what I promised: a continuation and sequel to **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**.**

**A continuation to the newest plot, I'm still formulating the plans in my head. I have created the beginning, played through vague details, and reached the kind of ending I wanted. The details are still foggy in my mind, so must quickly write them up on paper and start on latter chapters later. Otherwise, it's fine…**

**So now, please enjoy the first chapter of the sequel…**

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* * *

**It was a bright morning. The sunlight peered through the slightly open windows of the houses and buildings below. The sky was clear, devoid of a cloud in vast blue space above. The inhabitants, both human and Pokémon, lived in peace for many years and hoped that the tranquility and friendship will remain and grow as time continued to move on forward. One would think that such perfect conditions to live a healthy, happy life sounded too good to be part of reality. Others would say otherwise, claiming that this luxurious state was well-deserved after enduring a horrible catastrophe ten years ago.

Ten years ago…

Today was the tenth anniversary of the event, the tenth anniversary that all living beings felt pure anguish and darkness consuming them as the balance of their world was destabilized by a madman who lost his own reason for instigating the problem and simply destroyed everything for his own twisted pleasure. He and his organization lost track of their true goal and resorted to the destruction of everything to rediscover it. A trio of young, unlikely heroes stopped the horrible menace the psychotic madman had unleashed upon the world while their friends dealt with the rise of an army of Pokémon, ill and enraged by an artificial virus.

This event was described in the Pokémon history books as "The Wrath of XD00∞." This event in the decade-ago history was contributed to the fact that the greatest threat to mankind was once the Legendary Pokémon, Giratina, brainwashed and turned into a soulless fighting monster with an appetite of destruction and spilled blood. The trio of chosen heroes was the only defense to mankind, having been granted special powers to aid in combat, preventing it from seeking the ultimate destruction of time and space. However, at a great, tragic cost, Giratina was restored and purified to normal, beyond the eyes of many, and the madman's organization was ultimately dismantled for good.

One of the survivors, the sole female member of the revered trio, lived in peace with her two children in Pallet Town. For ten years now, she was concerned about nothing but the healthy upbringing of her offspring, in _his_ honor anyway. The two children were nearing ten years of age, which meant that they will become strong Pokémon Trainers as they traveled across different regions, perhaps the lands _he_ traversed in. This was Anabel's wish…

* * *

"Lila! Leon! Time for breakfast!" Anabel called from the bottom of the stairs.

The former Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Tower herself lived in the Ketchum household for ten years, having retired from being a Pokémon Trainer herself from that time. Her body had developed into that of a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties throughout the decade. She was slightly taller than she was ten years ago and her feminine features were properly developed during the time as well. She had also allowed her lavender hair to grow somewhat longer than her original preference.

For the ten years Anabel lived in the Ketchum residence with an elderly Delia, she was content with raising two twins, a daughter and son. She loved her children dearly as they were her only reminders to _him_.

"We're coming, Mom," one of the twin's voices said, a gentle, laidback tone. This was the voice of the youngest son, Leon Paul Ketchum. "Let's go, Lila."

"Don't rush me, I'm coming, you brat," his twin sister said, annoyed by her brother; this was Lila Sato Ketchum. Footsteps were heard running rampart upstairs. Anabel smiled, unfazed by the craziness of her children. It had becoming a morning ritual to them. Anabel and Grandmother Delia would prepare the breakfast, Anabel beckoned the twins to get out of bed, and Leon and Lila wound up fighting as twins often do.

The first to come down was a young boy with short, shiny light purple hair. He inherited his mother's preference for formal-like clothing, wearing a purple and white-streaked collared shirt and khakis. In fact, he mainly inherited most of his genetics from his mother, from the color of his hair to the ability to communicate with Pokémon on empathetic and telepathic levels. A quiet persona he usually wore on his face, Leon would greet any being he came across in the morning, from his mother, to the house Pokémon, and finally to his dear grandmother.

"Lila, you ready yet?" Anabel asked.

"On my way!" Lila exclaimed, running down the stairs with the same fervor as _him_.

Lila was the eldest of the twins, nearing the same height as her brother, if not taller. She was energetic, slim, and beautiful for her age, inheriting most of her qualities from _him_. She had raven black hair that slightly reached past her shoulders. She wore a shirt with a white top half outline of a Poké Ball with the colors of blue, green, red, white, and black arranged around. Other qualities she took after _him_ were his enthusiastic personality, the capacity to befriend many people and Pokémon, and the ability to see and control aura.

"You know, I really don't know what I'm going to do with you two," Anabel said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hey, a week from today and Leon and I will finally turn ten and we can become the kind of Trainers you want us to be," Lila said, "Though I still think Leon might lean towards becoming a Coordinator instead or both. Who knows?"

"I will always be proud of my greatest achievement in life," Anabel said, embracing her daughter. "You and Leon both know that. I know that you two will become the best."

"Mom, stop; I think I might cry," Lila said, giggling and sniffling as she tightened her embrace on her mother.

"Don't I get a hug too?" Leon asked, watching from the kitchen doorway.

"Leon, get in here now," Lila demanded playfully. Leon walked over and joined in on the group hug, caring for his mother and sister, grateful for the love he cherished for his only family in this world.

"Mom, if there comes a time that Lila and I might have to battle each other," Leon started, "I want you to know… Lila's going down!"

"You little brat! Get back here!" Lila yelled, chasing her brother into the kitchen. Though Leon was normally reserved like his mother, he just could not help himself messing with his twin sister. After all, it was a normal sibling thing.

"I'm going to miss them once this house becomes quiet," Anabel sighed.

"It's perfectly normal," an elderly voice said, coming from the nearby living room. Anabel approached Grandmother Delia, who was sitting on the sofa.

"Are you still okay, Mother Ketchum?" Anabel asked, taking her place next to her on the sofa. Delia sipped her tea briefly.

"A grandma can only last so long," Delia said. Her tired eyes were reflected from her new half-moon spectacles. She still looked pretty young for someone in her forties. Her skin was still healthy with not a lot of wrinkles. She still had brown hair that slowly turned to gray overtime.

"Why say that?" Anabel asked. "You're pretty healthy, Delia. You could even outlast me if you wanted. However, I don't blame you for not expecting death to come to you soon." She looked away with a bit of grief that had flashed in her eyes.

"Child, it's okay," Delia said, placing a hand on Anabel's shoulder. "What Ash had to do was the only way. Frankly, I was kind of surprised that he practiced aura, but some rules had to be bent."

"What did you have against the royal Cameran family, anyway?" Anabel asked.

"Not even I could remember," Delia said, staring as the treasures Ash garnered from his journey, from the Badges of Kanto, the Orange Archipelago, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh to the large golden trophy and certificate that officially proclaimed him as Pokémon Master, given to him from Goodshow and Cynthia. "Are you going to tell the twins about their father before they turn ten?"

"I don't know," Anabel said, "Because I'm not sure how they would react to the true story about him. He's gone, that's all I know and I hate having to cover up in front of the twins' eyes." A tear sparked from the corner of Anabel's eye. Delia discovered it, wiping it away before it had rolled down her cheek.

"I don't know why, dear, but I still think he's alive," Delia said. Anabel looked at her graciously, listening to the noisy munching of the twins' breakfast from the kitchen. She glanced out the window, watching the denizens of Pallet Town become active in their morning routines.

"I want to believe you, Delia, truly I want to," Anabel said, looking back towards her, "But I must face facts that he isn't here now. What he gave to all of humanity was a chance of rebirth, to be able to face the truth and become better from past mistakes. He even taught Ardos that."

"But, Anabel dear, you've been single as I have for far too long," Delia said. "Surely you had a thought of finding someone else?"

"My heart has always been with him and to find another would be an act of lustful, desperate infidelity; it is the last thing I would ever do in this lifetime," Anabel explained, proudly affirming her decision. Delia grinned, taking another brief sip of her warm tea. "Though we're not officially married, you and he gladly shared me your surname, just to make me part of his family. I was happy though…" She stared at her lap for a moment, "That Ash proposed to me before the final showdown." Another tear rolled down quickly before Delia could have anticipated it.

"Ash was a great guy; you should tell them the story," Delia said. "They're old enough to handle the truth, something I should have done with Ash about the whereabouts of his own father a long time ago, my only regret in my life. Other than that flaw, I've lived a long, happy life, knowing that I was there for him when he needed his mom the most."

"That's true," Anabel concurred, glancing down. At the foot of the sofa, a Pikachu slightly grown in size and age slept quietly on an Espeon's side. She, too, was rather aged and slept alongside Pikachu. "I think they would agree too, especially Pikachu."

"Then it's agreed that you will tell them of your adventures with Ash and Paul," Delia said, "I know you can get through it without breaking down." She firmly looked into Anabel's eyes, grasping her shoulders just like her son would in serious situations. "You're a strong woman making it this far in life, Anabel. You raised two beautiful children and loved a charming young man. And to top it off, you haven't cried since the day he disappeared." Anabel exhaled calmly, clasping her hands around her heart. "I can't say the same for even the toughest of his Pokémon, wherever they are now. His memory will be preserved through us and his friends." They both giggled lightly, stopping shortly to keep the desired peace and reverence.

"So we both agree that he _is_ still out there, at least _I_ do," Anabel said, grinning with hope. "I've secretly lived with this foolish hope, so call me a fool all you want. I'm a loving fool." Delia responded with a genuine smile, a smile that showed that approval of her courage and willpower. She could not have asked for a better daughter-in-law.

Together they both stood up from the sofa, quietly enough as not to disturb Pikachu and Espeon. Leon and Lila were already a ruckus to the entire household as it was. Anabel and Delia were convinced that now was as perfect as anytime to tell both Lila and Leon about the story of their father and how he saved the world with his most loyal friends. Now was the time as they neared ten years and their individual onsets as Trainers to the world. They deserved to know the real story, not tall tales Anabel and Delia used to stall them.

It was time they all passed and told the tale of stardom.

* * *

**The real action will begin next chapter. I wanted to start off easy instead of another action packed adventure; there has to be explanation. There has to be a foundation, and this is how it came to me, in the form of the peaceful future. Most of us, well any of us, can say that Ash and friends saved the world. But rather than the "how," I will also focus on the details of "why." I hope I have that in the right order though. I also hope I did not put out too many hints.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Any concerns should be told before anything else.**

**Ciao!**


	2. Discovery

**I'm terribly sorry for the long update. However, since I don't have much of a deadline and that the last half of my senior year is progressively becoming harder, I will update sporadically, meaning whenever I can. Hopefully, it can be at least once a week.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

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* * *

**The day had quickly advanced into the afternoon. The sun brightened the sky, clearing away any small, visible condensed cloud from the vast blue space above. Many different places were active in their daily work, following their usual routines without question. It was to say that everyone busied themselves with any activity he or she could find within his or her perception of reality. As the tranquility of the lands continued to grant the state of peace within the minds of many, others could not help but think about their own futures, wondering if the world would remain like this or if devastation would occur at a later time. Who knew if it would be even worse than that of ten years ago?

Young, innocent children of optimistic light did not see such a possibility. Both Lila and Leon were much too indulged within their own thoughts about becoming Trainers themselves, very soon. As both of them were in their room, sitting on the floor, they thought ahead about deciding the momentous decision that was determining their own starter Pokémon, the first partners for life and until the end of time.

"Leon, which Kanto starter do you plan on getting next week?" Lila asked.

"I think it would be best to keep our preferences to ourselves, sister," Leon replied politely. Lila pouted, which soon turned into a skeptical smirk.

"Ah, I see. You want to get the type advantage jump on me because it's always 'ladies first' for you," Lila said, playfully flicking her younger twin's nose. "While I do respect your courtesy to girls, I must tell you that most of them don't care much about proper etiquette at this age. The older girls, maybe…" Leon blushed profusely, inadvertently discovering a hidden implication within his sister's words.

"Lila, I have no interest in making love! Bleh!" Leon yelled, sticking his tongue out in disgust. Lila giggled. "I'm only nine-years old. I don't think even Mom fell in love at that young age; I believe she told us she was sixteen at the time. Wait… Maybe seventeen?"

"Whatever, Leon," Lila shrugged, "I'm still going to have a stronger starter Pokémon than you, so there." Leon ignored her, lying casually on the wall behind him with his arms behind his head.

"Heh heh, they say that the oldest are the first to go down in battle," Leon said. "Age before beauty, sister." He was suddenly tackled by his sister.

"Not if I take you out first, 'beauty'!" Lila exclaimed, lightly ruffling his shirt and shaking him.

His yells echoed abruptly, being shaken with sufficient force to make him dizzy. Leon though managed to grab several strands of her silky black hair and forcefully tugged them. As he was still shaken, Lila was taken along for the ride, yelping in pain as her eyes watered from the stinging sensations of a fistful of her hair pulled sharply along. With a frustrated growl she tackled into him again. In other words, they entered another sibling physical confrontation, which only sparked the attentions of both Anabel and Delia, suddenly emerging into their bedroom doorway. The two adults managed to immediately pull the heated siblings apart; they were all fortunate that no injuries had taken place.

"Really, if you two are going to be like this for the rest of your individual journeys, then no one will be able to accept your challenges without being pummeled at the start," Anabel said, shaking her head in dissatisfaction. Delia grinned lightly.

"No worries, Anabel dear," Delia said. "They're just excited, just like their father was before he started his journey too." Lila and Leon exchanged glances, staring at Delia for more information.

"Grandma, how was our father when he was our age?" Lila asked.

"And what _really_ became of him before we were born?" Leon asked, narrowing his eyes on both his mother and grandmother. "I looked at his past achievements above the fireplace, from his Badges to everything else. I studied his history carefully during my spare time. There's no way he's out looking for a Ho-Oh, Mom, not with his sufficient record as official Pokémon Master."

"Not me," Lila pointed out. Anabel exhaled calmly. Delia watched in concern for the mother.

"Well, you seem to be thinking out of the box today, Leon," Anabel sighed, sitting on Lila's side bed. Delia took her seat on his bed on the opposite side. "No, all those stories Mother Delia and I told you when you two were way younger were all fairy tales. We didn't know how you two would handle the truth, considering your active imaginations as young kids. I don't want you to think about your father in a way that soils his clean reputation."

"Wait a minute! So Dad's…?" Lila asked, trailing off from a loss of words. She and Leon examined the gloomy expressions of Anabel and Delia; they both knew when they had to act serious and respectful as situations like these.

"Your grandmother and I have taught you both well, which is why you deserve to know about the truth, the _real_ truth about the fate of your father," Anabel said, breathing in calmly. Delia looked at her, motioning her to continue. "Children, please gather in front of us."

Leon and Lila both sat at the floor space between their beds like eager toddlers waiting for story time. The strange vibe, foretelling that a tale was about to be told soon enough, had continued to linger about the room. The room was calm. The chirps of Pidgey echoed from outside as few of the Bird Pokémon rested upon the branches of a tree near their bedroom window.

"Well, to start off, the name of your father is Ash Ketchum, a native of Pallet Town just like you two," Delia said. The twins gazed upon the two adult figures intently with open minds.

"That much you know," Anabel said, "and there's more to him than just competing in any competition he finds. Lila? Leon? You both were taught well about the events prior to your own birth, right?"

"'The Wrath of XD00∞,' isn't it, Mom?" Leon asked.

"It was a horrible catastrophe where the evil Cipher organization manipulated the heart of a Giratina and turned it into a soulless, dark beast; that is what you taught us some time ago, Mom," Lila said. "It was also where a trio of powerful and unusual Trainers managed to rescue it and shut down Cipher with their friends, before the balance was destroyed. I still don't get much about the balance thing though. Where are you going with all of this?"

Anabel took in a deep breath, preparing herself for this day. She knew it had to be done. There was just no other way out.

"I have no other way saying this but, your father and I were part of that trio," Anabel explained, her voice filled with sincere truth and seriousness. Lila and Leon blankly stared at her, still processing this revelation into their underdeveloped minds. The room remained silent for two minutes. Delia was concerned and was about to add something until Leon raised his hand.

"Then who was the third person of the trio?" he asked. Unlike his sister who remained speechless from the revealed truths, Leon accepted it without any ignorant questioning, always trusting of his kind mother.

"His name was Paul, a powerful Trainer from Veilstone City whom we derived your middle name after," Anabel said, looking down at her son. "Paul was a complex Trainer, having experienced a very rough beginning on his journey."

"How's that?" Lila asked after regaining her ability to speak. Anabel lightly bit her lip.

"I usually don't like talking about tragedies again, but Paul and his older brother, Reggie, lost their father to the Team Galactic leader, Cyrus," Anabel said, closing her eyes in contemplation. Lila's and Leon's mouths fell agape. "A horrible loss, I'm sure, and the fact that Cyrus completely brutalized him with lectures about treating Pokémon as tools of power did not help his growth into a healthy Trainer."

"Identification with the aggressor," Lila said softly. Leon looked at her. "It's a psychological defense mechanism where the abused becomes the abuser from adapting to the qualities of the very person who was the main abuser."

"So you mean to say that I was named after a Pokémon abuser?!" Leon shouted incredulously. Delia and Lila flinched back from his unnaturally loud tone. Anabel remained calm.

"That kind of reaction was expected, of course," Anabel said, forming a small grin. "This is why you both should listen to the story about him, Ash, and me, starting from the beginning of our destinies together…"

* * *

The day was cloudy, dark and gray. Seven months have passed since that departure. As the sun of hope had risen in front of them, they left the land behind to hands unknown. Everywhere, as of this point, was veiled in uncertainty. _It_ made sparse appearances around the four regions, only wreaking havoc on behalf of its psychotic master in order to keep its existence alive in their terrified minds. Fear and paranoia consumed the hearts of those aware of the destruction that awaited them, only living in useless shelter until _it_ came and devoured their souls into darkness.

Only one person was revealed upon the Viridian City docks beyond the depressing, foggy clouds, watching as the motorboat slowly came ashore. His physical features remained the same after this time, tall, tan, and reliable. He waited as the boat docked by the side and three familiar Trainers descended down the ramp. Outside they have not changed a bit, considering that only seven months had passed

"Hey!" he yelled, waving towards them. Two of the boarders waved back, running and catching up to him as the third casually followed with hands in his pockets.

"Brock! Long time, no see!" the young man with a Pikachu greeted, sharing an eager handshake with him.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Ash, Anabel, Pikachu; you guys have grown noticeably," Brock said, "I don't only mean just physically, of course. And Paul's doing well, I presume." He glanced at the quiet third Trainer; the latter responded with a curtly nod.

"Let's just say that training with these gifted abilities have opened new doors of self-worth and other things," Anabel said, glancing at her hands. "Cresselia's healing powers are really effective, which is why both Ash and Paul look just the same as before."

"Amazing! And you, Paul?" Brock asked politely. Upon being addressed, he stepped up between Ash and Anabel, coolly staring back. He remained as serious and as expressionless as ever, before he had left with Ash and Anabel.

"Nothing that Darkrai couldn't handle," Paul said, holding his hand up robotically. Black energy with an inner blood red flaming center blazed from his palm as a demonstration. Brock stepped back cautiously.

"Don't worry about him, Brock," Ash said, gesturing Paul to lower his arm. "He's just… elated to come back and try out his new powers on the forces of Cipher."

"Hmm, there's something I've been meaning to ask you guys on how the abilities of both Darkrai and Cresselia would help your Pokémon in battle," Brock said. "This also includes your aura abilities, Ash." Ash, Anabel, and Paul exchanged glances, expected to answer him all at once. It was agreed, though, that Ash was going to tell the tale.

"I'll try to explain it a similar way Riley told the three of us when we wanted to know," Ash said, tapping his fingers together contemplatively. "For, let's say, my aura abilities to assist my Pokémon in battle or wherever, it would depend on how strong our bonds of friendship with one another are. It's as close to the point as I can get."

"In a way, our bonds with our Pokémon directly relay our granted powers to them," Anabel added. "For instance, Cresselia's powers can slowly heal them overtime in battle, especially in their sleep."

"And Darkrai's strength boosts my Pokémon's already overwhelming strength," Paul mentioned, "while giving some nightmarish side-effects to our opponent as well."

"And since I'm _very_ close to my Pokémon," Ash said, patting on Pikachu's head, "my Pokémon are occasionally enhanced and guided by my unique aura. They can even see and detect the aura of other living beings at different occasions too."

"That's so awesome," Brock remarked. "You guys can definitely take down Cipher when working together." Ash and Anabel grinned; Paul sharply exhaled.

"Brock, where are our other friends, like May, Zoey, and Drew?" Anabel asked, realizing that he was just the only one around.

"Hmph, probably no-shows because they couldn't dare step up and save the world," Paul remarked indifferently. He felt their glares upon him, but shrugged it off nonetheless. "Judging from their strengths, they wouldn't have lasted a mere second with pathetic wild Shadow Pokémon. It's really troublesome when give false hope to others."

"Okay! That's it! Training or not, your attitude is just as rotten as ever, mister!" an angry shrill screamed from behind a large stack of metallic crates and cargo. It sounded young, girlish, yet familiar. Anabel peered over in curiosity while Ash and Paul stared at Brock.

"Way to go; you blew our cover!" another familiar voice, which sounded like that of a suave male, yelled.

"Don't take it out on her! It's not her fault that Paul's demeanor easily upsets her," another feminine voice replied. She sounded as young and bright as the first female voice. "He upsets me too! He looked like he was about to threaten Brock."

"He's old enough to take care of himself, even from someone like Paul," the male said in response to the third. "Now this surprise _you_ planned is ruined. Way to go May."

"Shut up, Drew," she retorted.

"Let's just get out, guys," a fourth voice suggested sullenly.

Footsteps were heard as the hidden personages emerged from behind the cargo. Brock chuckled uneasily, shrugging to the trio as the remaining group came out. Dawn, Drew, May, Zoey, Max, and Kenny stood out in the open the same way they appeared months ago.

* * *

"Guys!" Ash exclaimed.

"It's so great to see you all!" Anabel added, running up to her girl friends, engaging in a heartfelt group hug. The guys watched, awkwardly.

"Sweet and lovable as always, Anabel," May said, nuzzling her head on her soft shoulder.

"_You_ _guys_ are the sweet ones," Anabel replied amiably. The four of the momentarily broke apart, seeing as Ash and the others approached them. Ash took his side by Anabel as expected.

"So is it true that you mastered aura, Ash?" Dawn asked eagerly. With a wide grin present on his face, she and the others immediately knew his answer at the bat of an eye.

"You guys can say that I'm almost like a Lucario to Anabel's Cresselia and Paul's Darkrai, speaking of which," Ash said, searching his torso and an enlarged Poké Ball appeared in his hand, "Lucario, introduce yourself!" He jumped back, Pikachu holding on tightly to his shoulder, and tossed the Poké Ball high in the air, releasing the said Aura Pokémon with a bright white flash. The light took form into a Pokémon kneeling.

"Lu," Lucario exhaled, standing up modestly. "Rah?" The others smiled.

"I somehow knew you were going to end up with one eventually," Brock said, gripping his chin while studying the Lucario. It was apparent the others agreed with curious stares and slightly gaping mouths.

"After arriving on Iron Island and learning the basics of our powers, Riley gave me a Pokémon egg as part of my becoming an official Aura Guardian," Ash explained, plaintively glancing at Lucario. "Lucario was also an excellent partner in training my aura abilities. However…"

"However?" the group repeated. Ash inhaled calmly and continued.

"Riley said that in order for me to receive the egg, I had to sacrifice or give up something of equal worth in return," he said.

"Meaning that he had to give away a Pokémon whose strength that Ash's Lucario would rival in the future," Anabel added, holding out a Poké Ball herself. The group was confused. A brisk wind blew past them. Paul scoffed in irritation.

"It didn't take me _this_ long to figure it out," Paul commented. They fumed at him until Max spoke.

"So you gave away a Pokémon, Ash?" Max asked in hopeful uncertainty, hoping that his guess was right instead.

"According to Riley, this was allowed," Anabel answered in his stead, throwing her Poké Ball in the air. The device opened up, unleashing a bright flash, which took form into a Gallade. This Blade Pokémon, however, had a scar torn down his right eye and another one across his throat, where his voice box was located.

"I think Anabel bringing out Gallade should answer the question," Ash said, shifting his eyes from Lucario's direction to Gallade. The more intelligent of the group realized what the rules of an Aura Guardian Riley conveyed to them.

"I still don't understand," May said.

"It's actually simple, May," Brock said politely. "Because Ash was required to give up something in return of receiving the Riolu egg, he gave his Gallade to Anabel, which satisfied Riley's traditional bylaws."

"_And so, I now belonged to Miss Anabel from that day on, six months ago,"_ Gallade said; his telepathy was clear and strong as always. _"I still recognize Master Ash as my first master and will always be my master wherever I end up."_

"Rah," Lucario concurred, crossing his arms meditatively.

"Your new Lucario doesn't talk much, does he?" Zoey asked.

"You should see him as a Riolu the first three months since he hatched," Ash said. He noticed Lucario's expression had grimaced. "Don't worry about it. I won't say anything too bad."

"Pi-ka Pika," Pikachu vouched. They both were responded with a soft grunt from the Aura Pokémon.

"Hmph, are we done here yet?" Paul asked impatiently, startling the whole lot. "I'd rather skip all the unnecessary formalities and get to the part where we stop Giratina and save the world and blah, blah, blah."

"Can't you crack a friendly smile at least once in your life?" Dawn asked as the first to shatter from his pressure. "You've had seven months to clean up your act together and become the kind of person normal people expect." Paul looked away from the group coolly.

"Try seven years in my shoes on what it's like to experience real power in your hands regardless of the cost, more than enough to slay the Galactic madman who murdered your own father before your eyes and fried your brain in darkness," Paul said, indifferent to previous comments said about him. Silence fell upon the group. "I thought so."

"Paul, Cyrus is gone and Team Galactic had disbanded a long time ago," Ash said, cautiously placing his hand on his shoulder. "There's no reason for you to act tough all the time now, not even to your own Pokémon." Paul shrugged.

"Then it's simply force of habit, which I really don't mind one bit actually," Paul said.

"Then take your anger out on Cipher, not us!" May reasoned. "We never actually did anything to you, yet you treat us like nobodies." Paul was about to raise a finger with a condescending comment followed, but both Drew and Zoey stepped forward.

"Don't even try, buster," Zoey warned. Drew casually looked at her.

"I'm with her on this one," he said. Paul exhaled calmly, stepping back after noticing that their hands were together. He stepped back with a small smirk.

"Okay then," Paul said, smirking, "but know that I can even break apart couples if they keep getting in my way." It was when Ash and Anabel had discovered what Paul meant about Drew and Zoey and saw their hands together. Being the only ones left out on events outside of Iron Island, they both took a proactive approach upon this new relationship.

"Oh, my! Zoey, you're going out with Drew now?" Anabel asked endearingly. Drew blushed slightly, turning away as to keep his remaining dignity to himself.

"Let's just say that if he really wanted me, he had to clean up his act a bit," Zoey replied, playfully tugging Drew to her side. The sheepish green-haired Coordinator groaned slightly.

"You had no idea what she wanted of me," Drew said, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "She was just asking too much out of me."

"Drew, I just wanted you to be less arrogant and cocky in Contests, even if you do have what it takes to be Top Coordinator," Zoey said.

"That's just like asking Paul to becoming more like Ash," Drew retorted. He felt an icy cold glare coming from the aforementioned Trainer, followed by a raging, burning stare from the second mentioned Trainer. "See? This is what I mean by asking too much out of me."

"Well, that's all I wanted to know from you guys for now," Anabel said, smiling and tilting her head. "Why don't we resume our plans on saving the world?"

Her suggestion brought sensibility and reason back to the group.

"Everyone, let's get to Professor Oak's lab and see what we've missed out on!" Ash proclaimed.

The entourage of unique friends followed behind him after remaining business upon the Viridian docks were settled. Following from their individual journeys, they went off to their predestined home base as planned seven months ago, although one vague question lingered in Ash's mind, as though he forgot something important, something relevant to their cause. It struck him suddenly and without question.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Anabel asked, concerned by his worrisome expression.

"We haven't even discussed the progress of the wild Shadow Pokémon roaming in the Kanto and Johto regions," Ash explained; the others gasped in shock and panicked.

"So now you all realized that we're sitting ducks when we had those unnecessary formalities?" Paul asked sarcastically.

"Now's not the time to argue, not if we're all upset about this all of a sudden," Anabel advised.

"But we were so excited to see you guys again and how much stronger you guys are now," Kenny explained, "that we forgot about the bigger picture behind all of this."

"Well, I do remember that May and I purified a dozen Shadow Pokémon so far in a small section of Johto," Max said.

"Oh, man, I can't even remember how many Shadow Pokémon we've purified on the east side of Kanto," Zoey said. "Do you remember, Drew?" He shrugged with the same emotions as her, uneasy and frustrated, no matter how cool he tried to look on the outside.

"Then it's settled," Brock declared. "We have to get back to Professor Oak's and learn of the progress so far, before our previous hard work is thrown away."

"The ShadowPokérus is very contagious; at least that's what Namba told us," Max said.

"So if we dawdle around any longer…"

"Then it'll be back to square one for the rest of us…"

"Then let's move!"

* * *

**I hope it wasn't a bad opener. I plan to explain more since stories like these usually don't last on chapter. I am obliged to say that these alleged "flashbacks" of the past will be divided into sections, in order to keep in contact with the established present. My only request is that you can keep up with the settings, no matter what they may be.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts regarding this chapter.**

**Ciao! **


	3. Ambush

**It's so amusing how easy it is to lead a person along in the story while he or she jumps to conclusions. I don't think I've ever said anything definite, but you are all free to believe… whatever you want to believe. As much as I loath confusion, it is still far too early in the story for me to make clarifications to anyone. After all, if I was a simple reader as anyone else, I would have made assumptions as well until… well. I am the _mysterious_ _Mister P._  
**

**Enough talk from my part. I'll let the story communicate for me instead.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**The weather over Kanto remained the same, as dark, gloomy, and gray as they have been. At least, according to the observant ones that nothing of horrible misfortune befell upon any of the four regions as of yet. But that was what created the terror and panic within the hearts of many a bystander in all four. No one knew when _it_ would come and smite them down like the cowering weaklings they were. Everyday since _its_ first attack upon Sinnoh, people have lived in quiet apprehensive fear, not knowing when _its_ twisted master would finally command the onslaught.

One thing was certain though…

The once bronze-blazon sands of the Orre region were dulled into desolate gravel and limestone, according to their friends' stories along the way to Pallet Town. The remaining friends heard through Professor Krane's dour announcements about how his homeland was easily seized from XD00∞'s relentless siege and Cipher's return to power those months ago. From his assistants back at the home laboratory, Krane had learned that from the ancient grove corners of Agate Village to the sea borders of Gateon Port, citizens became submissive to Cipher's demands of relinquishing authority. Shadow Giratina's dark storms overtook the skies above, blocking out the natural desert sun and causing the weather to be uncomfortably cold and dusk.

The group trembled under the prospect of eternal darkness hovering over their homes soon enough. Deep inside, they all knew that Orre would be even worse before their own young eyes rather than listening to a descriptive analysis from the local professor. Kanto and Johto had signs that alerted them to how close they would soon end up like Orre. All that was needed was a visit from Shadow Giratina and the world would sooner fall out of balance and into Ardos' megalomaniacal grasp. Despite the progress the others made, the artificial ShadowPokérus continued to remain a step ahead, infecting and closing the doors to many Pokémon's hearts.

"It's still hard for me to believe that all this had happened while we were gone," Ash said, shifting his eyes in several directions, glancing at every dark corner as though he waited for the unexpected to happen.

"We weren't gone for that long," Anabel added, worried and preoccupied with her own thoughts. She felt the warmth and comfort from her girl friends. She could not help but smile lightly.

"What's done is done," Brock surmised. "All we have to do at this rate is to fix the damage Cipher created as soon as possible."

"I still think you all could have done a little more effort in preventing a plague from spreading," Paul scoffed, carefully eyeing several bleak, empty habitats around them. "It looks like not even Route 1 could have lasted more than a day without facing the infection." He ignored the disgruntled grunts of many around him.

"Hey! _You_ try to find scattered Shadow Pokémon in the wild!" Dawn shouted, annoyed by his indifferent attitude without a doubt. Paul shrugged.

"As much as I'd love to take your job, I believe I was called for something more important than being your babysitter," Paul said without even looking at her.

Ruffles in the grass were heard. The group froze, staying together in one spot. Each Trainer glanced out in different directions to avoid ambush; a smart tactic nonetheless.

"I've received word from Professor Krane that Gary cleared out most of the infected Shadow Pokémon here in Route 1 while protecting the Battle Dimension under Scott's request," Brock mentioned. Ash and Anabel glanced at his direction upon the mention.

"Oh, yeah… How is Scott?" Ash and Anabel asked.

"Let's just say that he's really proud of you two for stepping up to this challenge," Brock replied, remaining in alert for any ambush. "After all, he said, 'Without a world, there'd be no challengers left to take on my devoured Battle Frontier!' Even back then, he sounded like he was joking, but he was serious all the same."

"Then whatever it takes," Anabel started.

"To make the world safe again," Ash finished.

* * *

Shadowy silhouettes swiftly emerged from the tall grass. Ash and his entourage backed up closely towards each other, back to back. There were seven Rattata and a leader Raticate. Their blinding, raging red eyes screamed of senseless bloodlust. Their trembling, sharpen fangs growled in hunger. Ash's eyes lit up in a mystical, premonition sense, focusing on each Pokémon for a brief moment and finishing his analysis with Raticate.

"They're all Shadow Pokémon," Ash warned, slowly turning his head toward Pikachu. "Even in a small group, they're a force to be reckoned with."

"Pi-ka," Pikachu nodded fiercely and was about to jump into action until an arm blocked the path.

"Allow me," Paul said, stepping out in front despite of the others' protests. "The girl said it herself. I should at least try my hand on Shadow Pokémon with my now abilities, considering I caught one before."

The wild Shadow Rattata and Raticate glared at him, waiting for their prey to make his move. His smirk contrasted their opinions about a sole enemy to focus on. They watched him enlarge a Poké Ball from his pocket, ready to swarm it with vicious intent.

"Be careful, Paul," Ash said, to which he received a defiant snort in return.

"Aggron, stand by for battle!"

With an aggressive toss into the air, Paul watched smugly as the Poké Ball opened up and unleashed one of his newer and stronger Pokémon to date. The said Pokémon landed upon the ground with a quaking thud, startling the rabid Shadow Pokémon. This did not wear away their blind, hungering resolve.

"Gron!" Aggron bellowed, flexing its armored arms. The others watched in astonishment, only to rule out that this was Paul they were talking about.

"I'm guessing he caught an Aggron back at Iron Island," Max suggested. Ash nodded.

"He caught Aggron after he observed it taking down a Steelix and two Skarmory in an enclosed sparring match during our second month training," Anabel explained. "He also mentioned that it was to match and possibly triumph over Ash's Tyranitar…" She briefly looked at Ash, who looked away, whistling out of tune.

"That's Paul in a nutshell for ya," May summed, crossing her arms as the Rattata pack suddenly jumped Aggron. Paul and Aggron stood their ground, unresponsive to the rapid pack attack, as the others thought best to stay _out_ of his way.

"Aggron, Iron Head!"

"Ag-gron!" Aggron grunted, quickly stepping back as three Shadow Rattata dove into its range.

Aggron's diamond-glittering head shone brightly in contrast to the darkness, gleaming before every living being's present eyes. The Rattata on offense groaned to remain attentive on their large target, only to receive a blunt force pushing them all back at once, right into the cold, hard ground.

"Rat-icate," the Shadow Raticate hissed furiously, commanding a pair of Rattata to confuse their lumbering opponent and strike with a barrage of Super Fangs at its blind spot. With venomous hisses in response, the assigned pair attempted to bewilder Aggron with their swift movements at different directions. Paul remained unresponsive as a stone, crossing his arms in a rather bored fashion.

"This charade is going nowhere," Paul commented dully, observing as the Shadow Rattata attacked Aggron's sides. Aggron, however, did not show any pain from their scraping teeth at its unreachable sections.

"Paul, you can't let Aggron continue to expose itself to them or else it'll end up infected as well," Brock advised.

Paul snorted, glancing at another direction. It was only after close to five seconds had passed that he gave the battle his attention once again. This time around, an invisible force flared around him, suspending his long purple bangs up. His clothes ruffled in the dark wave as the small black pupils in his edgy eyes slowly formed into slits. The others were hushed into silence, amazed yet frightened by Paul's complete mastery of Darkrai's nightmarish prowess, as though the Pitch-Black Pokémon itself was seen in his place instead. He spoke with a gruff distorted voice.

"_Aggron, use Surf!"_

"Surf?!" everyone exclaimed incredulously.

The group observed intently, sans Ash and Anabel who were no strangers to him after all. The same dark force that empowered Paul coursed through Aggron's armor. With a ferocious roar into the bleaker sky, Aggron summoned large volumes of underground water beneath its entire body. Everyone backed away hastily as the wave increased in size, about to consume the ragtag Shadow pack altogether.

The remaining Shadow Rattata and the Raticate leader cowered, imagining their own demise and death underneath the shadowy wave, drowning in darkness until the last molecule of oxygen was squeezed out of their lungs and they succumbed to the cold, paling darkness that waited on the other side. The monstrous, metallic tyrant controlling the wave from above growled demonically as a pair of irritated, cold eyes watched them, judged them. Everything else had disappeared from their sights. Such dark surrealism hypnotized their feeble consciousness. No longer were they concerned about finding the next living meal or destroying structure they saw as meaningless; Aggron's Surf was the only thing on their terrified minds. Paralyzed by fear from watching the wave grow, the Shadow Rattata pack was unaware of anything else. By now, Ash and his friends saw how influential Paul could be.

The group merely saw an Aggron riding a wave, wiping away the Shadow pack as the tide came down upon its command. As the water seeped back into the moist ground, the bodies still trembled. The seven Shadow Rattata and Raticate lifted their heads up, free from the drowning illusion. Their single-minded goal on taking down Aggron drove them back to their feet. Ash's eyes flickered.

"Their dark aura has greatly decreased, but know their auras are tinged with some red," Ash warned, taking a precautionary step back. The others followed suit; Paul did not. He remained the same.

"This is getting nowhere pretty fast," Paul said with a disgruntled sigh. With a brief crack of his knuckles, he held his hands out in front of him, curving his fingers inward toward the center of his palms. _"Dark Void!"_ With a rasping growl, he brought his hands together, forming a jet black sphere with a blood red center that extended up to his fingertips. From the large void, several voids were fired with deadly accuracy, pinpointing upon each Rattata and ultimately ending with Raticate. The Shadow Pokémon were engulfed in their darkness, lulled to unconscious sleep. Their lifeless bodies fidgeted, hopelessly trapped in their nightmares. Ash's friends were speechless, even though they felt awake enough to see this transpire.

"This _can't_ be real," Dawn complained.

"What… can you say?" Kenny asked hesitantly. "Paul is… Paul!"

"Hmph, I guess that's that," Paul said, recalling his Aggron casually with the same bored look in his eyes. "Not even a challenge." He focused his intimidating gaze on Ash and the rest of his friends. "Don't you all have jobs to do?" They received his brusque signal; Ash ran over to the leader Raticate while the other seven armed themselves with their Purification Gauntlets, modeled after the kind Aura Guardians like Sir Aaron wore, only with a round, smoothed fragment of the powerful Relic Stone as the main gem of each gauntlet.

Brock, May, Max, Drew, Zoey, Dawn, and Kenny each took a Rattata under care, grasping them tightly until the resonance from the Relic Stone fragments grew stronger. Paul's dark illusions weakened them even faster than expected and the fragments reawakened their once carefree memories. Ash had begun his Purification process with his unique aura, in synch with the others as to purify them all together. He stood out the most with a throaty, zealous shout, due to him actually performing a hundred and ten percent of effort in Purification, like a brave Lucario leading and fighting for his wearied friends. It was upon noticing his valiant shout though that his friends saw the image of a Lucario in his stead.

A piercing light, an uplifting sacred combination of forest green and spiritual blue engulfed their area, blessing it with new life once more. The pack members' eyes slowly awakened to the process, feeling the shadows leaving them as the doors to their hearts were opened.

"Rat?" the Rattata squeaked, confused. The Raticate leader hopped out of Ash's hands, beckoning the others to join it. "Rat-Rattata!" One by one, each Rattata hopped out of its healer's hands, happy to be together with its friends.

"They're still weak from recovery," Anabel said, approaching them. Ash and the others stood by her, knowing that she was about to finish business with the former Shadow pack.

Anabel knelt down and clasped her hands, as though she was praying. The others, including the Rattata, observed her inner radiance beginning to light Route 1 once more. The gray clouds above began to dispel. The sun's warmth could be felt as Anabel focused on her intentions on healing the scars of the Rattata pack. She unfolded her hands and spread them far apart as though she was waiting to embrace the Rattata. A soft sigh escaped her thin lips. It was strange, though, that Cresselia's divine image was flashed before their eyes from her caring pose, from the luminescent celestial rings to her divine, crescent-shaped head.

Cresselia's healing powers restored the restored, carefree Pokémon while all the more emphasizing her pale beauty in the glittering light. After the light show ended, the pack left into the wild swiftly as it came. Ash lifted Anabel back on her feet, smiling warmly upon a job well done. She nuzzled her head on his shoulder, briefly relaxing herself.

"I'd say it went by rather nicely," Ash said.

"Don't forget, though," Brock interrupted, "that your real job is far more complicated than today's ambush."

"I still think that the Rattata ambush was the hardest one for any of us to deal with without Paul," Max said.

"They were particularly vicious, but only because they had very scary teeth," May concurred, shuddering.

"It was _too_ easy to be true anyway," Paul added, shrugging indifferently and walking ahead. "Now then, if we can go to Oak's lab now, Ash, Anabel, and I can finally be on our way to the Orre region."

"Gee, Paul, you sound kind of eager to save the world," Ash said, suspicious. "Maybe _too_ eager…?"

"The answer is as plain as the hat you wear on your messy black hair, Ash," Dawn said, tugging him and Anabel along. "He's just serving himself as always." He and Anabel chuckled weakly.

"Uh, we're not so sure about that, Dawn," Anabel said, freeing her sleeve from her grip. "Paul's actually changed, while at the same time he remains unreadable as ever."

"Better for us as long as he remains on our side," Ash commented, using his free hand to pet Pikachu. "I'll tell you all one thing though…"

The young heroic group advanced towards Pallet Town; the route was no longer covered in darkness as opposed to the rest of the region. Life slowly crept back to the surface of the scarred route as wild Pidgey, normal according to Ash's calm reaction, started to gather twigs around surviving trees. Grass Pokémon, ranging from Bellsprout to Bellossom apparently emerged, no longer fearing anything as long as the energizing sun remained in the air above, and used their powers to rejuvenate the plant life under Mother Nature's whims.

With a simple walk to the laboratory upon reaching Pallet Town, Anabel brought up Ash's fading word.

"What is it, Ash?"

"If Paul has the powers of a Darkrai, don't try to make him mad." _Unless you can last out against him…_

At that note, they could have sworn they heard a quiet, but intimidating smirk from the dark Trainer.

* * *

**Instead of simply cramming two different topics, like the ambush and chat with the professors, I'm simply categorizing them into separate chapters. You will know when I'm shifting views from the past to the bright future. So I don't know how many chapters this story will total, but I'm toying with them as it is. If this chapter seems to be shorter than you wanted, well… Not much I can do now, is there? Besides, I thought this appetizer would suffice for now until the main entree is served later on. Consider this action chapter a small grain of sand to the hourglass of this story.  
**

**In addition, I'm just growing into a stage where I don't have the time or motivation to continue as a writer here on my free time. Please understand that, at least.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated.**

**Ciao! **


	4. Progress

**I want to thank you all for tolerating my extended absence. The last time that I have not updated in weeks was the summer of 2008. But then again, I needed the rest. I've seen some concerns about this story if it would continue throughout the year; I promise that I'll do whatever I can. Thank you…**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**The Kanto skies were ever-shifting swirls of chaotic, conflicting forces, light and darkness dancing within a duel of endless dimensional proportions. At least in the area they were currently in, the light had finally triumphed over the darkness. The returning trio had experienced first hand upon their return to Kanto how merciless the infected soulless creatures had become. While Paul had singlehandedly annihilated an ambush from a rabid Rattata pack, the others felt comfort to have such a forceful, yet shady asset on their side. The trek to Pallet Town was nearing to a close, ignoring side distractions as the reemerging docile Pokémon and the ever grand Battle Dimension. The group had seen the calm town up ahead to be fortunately blessed from attacks from Cipher and the neighboring wild Pokémon.

"Man, you guys can really clean up here," Ash said, commenting on his hometown's status. "Pallet Town is just as awesome and peaceful as ever."

"The town can defend itself pretty well with a Researcher and his grandson working together here," Brock replied.

"Well Professor Oak and Poet Jr. did a great job; Pallet's just as sweet as their poems," Dawn sighed, clasping her hands.

"I didn't think you still listen to his poems, Dawn," Kenny said, examining the land as the group advanced deeper into town. "I guess that would mostly explain why we've stayed longer in Pokémon Centers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Oh, Dee Dee."

"Are you kidding me, Kenny? I really love poetry in general!" Dawn exclaimed, not having even heard her derogatory childhood nickname; May was suddenly by her side, linked with her arm-in-arm with the same cheerful expression on her face.

"Same goes for me!" May admitted, to which she heard a snide nasally whisper _"That's explains it all…"_ from a certain know-it-all brat. She snorted, ignoring him and his childish, immature remarks. "Aside from watching _King Bonsly and Queen Mime Jr._, I've gotten into Professor Oak's poems thanks to this little lady."

"Guys! There's my house!" Ash interrupted. His house approached from their right, the house with a Mr. Mime working on the lawn and tending to the small delicate flowers of immaculate white purity. Anabel briefly gazed from the distance, feeling amiable warmth within her heart upon looking at Ash again. "Hey! Mr.—!" The back collar of his shirt was tugged and pulled back effortlessly by Paul.

"We don't have time for distractions; we must get to Oak's lab pronto," Paul demanded, exasperatedly watching Ash struggle foolishly.

"Says who?!"

"Hmph, _you_ said so before we even reached Pallet Town," Paul retorted, closing his eyes in frustration. "Unlike the rest of your friends who wanted to rest in your inactive Battle Facility, you wanted to push forward, didn't you, Pokémon Master?" His rough, sarcastic tone earned a little smidge of weak laughter from the overachieving Aura Guardian.

"Eh heh, so I did," Ash said quickly, covering his mistake with a sudden jerk of his movement.

His collar slipped out of Paul's hand and he inadvertently sprinted off. The others sighed and chuckled graciously, content to find the lighter mood in their worldly crisis. Anabel led the group, a cheery smile present on her bright pale face. The group casually advanced through town, greeting the normal townsfolk along the way. They soon caught up with Ash and Pikachu, catching their breath on the front step of Oak's stoop.

"No need to worry! Take your time," Dawn encouraged. Both Trainer and Pokémon flushed in crimson mortification, immediately straightening their physical priorities and stood tall before the rest.

"I hate to admit, but that's an effective technique," Max remarked, walking with the others up the stairs. They reached the front door in no time flat as though time was nonexistent on the long stairway.

* * *

The door opened without question, courtesy of the young Researcher with messy brown hair.

"Hey, Gary!" Ash exclaimed, tightly clasping a wrestling-like hand with his out of sheer bravado. A special handshake they shared, no doubt as his friends watched.

"Hard for me to say that you changed; you look like you on the outside, but even I can feel a great power emanating within you, Ash," Gary replied, ending their tight handshake. He briefly glimpsed at Anabel and Paul; they each had different attitudes, reflective of their facial expressions. "Anabel… Paul…"

"Gary," they said; Anabel's greeting was distinctively kinder and sweeter to listen to than Paul's.

"Everyone, please come this way," Gary requested, placing a mask of stability on and guided the group inside. He led them to the heart of the laboratory where three working figures were present on some sort of research using several microscopes and occupied Poké Balls. "And if you all look to your right, you'd see my grandpa, Tracey, and yes, Lambada working on a shorter way to dispose the ShadowPokérus to save you all the trouble."

The three looked up from their station. Two faces brightened; one glowered.

"Grrrrr, I've willingly helped you fools for seven months and yet my name's never, and I mean _never_ recognized!" the grouchy, balding scientist barked furiously. "MY NAME IS _NAMBA_!! _REMEMBER_ IT!!!"

Everyone cowered under the tremendous, grating presence of his scratchy voice. While some took pity on the strangely comical and former Rocket scientist, others had actually promised to remember his name just for the sake of their sensitive ears.

"Sorry, kids," Professor Oak apologized in his behalf, "it's becoming a dreadful force of habit." Namba snorted before going back to his research, angrily muttering and questioning why he was working with these "goody-goody little cretins" in the first place.

"Yeah, and welcome back, everyone," Tracey greeted, approaching them after placing a small package back on the table. As the director of the Shadow Pokémon progress, he briefly dusted himself for a better presentation. "You've all done a pretty good job halting the spread of the ShadowPokérus during all of your journeys. As far as we can see, sunlight is slowly returning to different parts of Kanto and few in Johto."

Tracey directed their attention to the large plasma screen cyber map of the entire Kanto region, which alternated to the large region of Johto after a few passing seconds. Unlike Kanto, most sections of Johto were shaded in a dark purple color. Several red dots were present under each the purple-shaded areas of the black and green map. The map shifted back to Kanto after ten more seconds, showing less areas of shadowy purple.

"You see, Professor Krane and Michael's family installed this satellite surveillance system onto the main computer to aid us all while you three heroes were off training," Gary explained, glancing at Ash, Anabel, and Paul as he neared the end of his sentence. "Before leaving to keep Cipher's influence from spreading in Orre, Professor Krane wanted to leave this message to all of you around the time Ash, Anabel, and Paul got back."

Tracey came before them as if on cue, holding the same small boxed package from before. He opened it up cautiously, cutting the sealed tape with a small knife. Ash and his friends watched anxiously, feeling every solid beating from their hearts within their arteries and veins. Tracey swallowed, placing his hands on a lid; not even he knew what Krane's surprise was.

"Well gang, better brace yourselves," he said, suddenly throwing the box lids open. They all stepped forward as Tracey dug his hands deep in the shallow darkness of the box. A look on his face told them that something big was in his grasp. With a minor grunt, he lifted a strange, disk-shaped hologram projector into his arms. The object itself did not look too heavy.

"And this is…?" Drew asked skeptically. He felt a swift bump on his side, courtesy of Zoey's elbow.

"_A message_," a different voice answered. Ash looked around, but had not recognized the voice from any of his friends. Anabel shrugged, Brock mused, May and Max exchanged looks, and Paul glanced at a corner indifferently.

It had originated from the projector in Tracey's arms. The top round, transparent center of the projector lit up. Everyone gasped. Tracey placed the projector on the ground in front of everyone to see. Light stored within the digital messenger shone brightly to the ceiling. Everyone, including Professor Oak and Namba, surrounded it in a circle. A figure, albeit one composed of customized photons, appeared before them with a warm familiar face to greet them upon his slumber.

"It's Professor Krane," Brock said, stepping in closer for a better view.

"_If this projection of myself is out, then that would mean that everyone of our young heroes are back together to make a plan of action_," Krane's projection said jovially. "_I am pretty sure by now that Ash, Anabel, and the third hero who should have been found are now back from their training in Iron Island._" Paul rolled his eyes in dissatisfaction as some looked his way.

"I'd recommend paying attention to this quack than to my well-being," Paul suggested; his dark glare immediately sent them back to Krane.

"_By this time, the Orre region has been dominated by the lawless darkness of Cipher_," Krane said; his expression changed. "_I know from Namba that Cipher doesn't need an army of Shadow Pokémon to conquer the Orre region when they have a corrupted Giratina to serve them. As for their fantasized army, I hope that you remaining kids have dwindled their numbers the past seven months._"

"He's so accurate on calculating time," Dawn commented in awe.

"_If you all need suggestions put on your table, then here's one_," Krane said; his luminescent image sparked. "_Ash and the two heroes of Cresselia's prophecy should come to the Orre region as soon as possible for further directions. The rest of you, find an area that's lessening on Shadow Pokémon and completely snuff it out if you ever want the sun to return to that land. I can't say the same for Orre though as I'm sure that XD00∞'s darkness and Mother Nature's desert sun are at odds morning, noon, and night, day by day. I wish for this all to end…_" Everyone, sans Paul and Namba, were sympathetic to the melancholic photon figure of the Orre professor. "_I want my home back. We all do._"

Krane was joined by holographic projections of Michael, Jovi, and Lily; the latter three looked as miserable as the professor. Their unfortunate souls had only roused the others into action. Whatever it took to end this catastrophe, they would conquer every challenge together.

The base of the projector started to uncontrollably spark. The image of the entire family in a group hug started to vanish as the message had fulfilled its course. The projector had malfunctioned, breaking down into hot steam as every present living being in the room contemplated upon everything going on. Ash was the first to speak out, stomping his foot hard for the attention.

"Listen up! We all can't stand the despicable Cipher!" Ash declared. The others agreed zealously. "But with a monster like Giratina on their side, it will take everything our friendship can dish out. It's not just me, Anabel, and Paul, but all of us!" Anabel joined his side. With a nod, she stepped forward.

"We are _not_ going to let go and forgive Cipher on what they've done to everyone of us," Anabel said with strong passion. "I may be this hunk's girlfriend, but I agree with _everything_ he has said!" Everyone cheered and laughed.

"We're all in this together!" May exclaimed with Dawn and Zoey at each side, exchanging high fives.

"No doubt about it," Max concurred, adjusting his glasses with a smirk.

The enthusiastic spirit of the group impressed the elders of the group. Professor Oak and Namba briefly exchanged looks before coming into agreeing terms themselves.

"Then it's settled then," Professor Oak announced, crossing his arms while remaining somewhat amused by the fervor excitement of youth in his laboratory. _To be young again and save the world of Pokémon…_

"Now get out of here, you scamps," Namba said, feigning a smile while ushering the group out the door. "Now go and save the world and we'll be here to direct our small Purifying army to diminishing Shadow Pokémon areas."

"Later, Namba!" Ash and friends exclaimed, immediately leaving for their responsibilities of either sailing to the Orre region or staying behind and clearing the Kanto and Johto regions of the ShadowPokérus permanently.

"It's _Namba_! You got—?! … Wait, that's what they said."

As Ash, Anabel, and their loyal friends went their ways, Namba softly closed the entrance door to Oak's laboratory, feeling some sort of strange, comforting warmth inside of him for the first time in his terribly difficult life.

* * *

"This sounds oh so awesome," Leon commented, yawning quietly.

"Totally, little brother!" Lila exclaimed, yawning loudly with a curled hand covering her mouth and smacking her lips together. "Mom and Grandma Delia always have the best stories."

"Except this tale is real as you, sweet Lila," Anabel crooned, caressing her daughter's cheek. "How about I continue this story tomorrow?" Both of her children pouted.

"But this was just getting good, Mom," Leon complained as Delia softly giggled to herself.

"Nonsense! It's past your bedtime," Anabel point out to the recently dusted, antique wall clock with Roman Numerals as the numbers. The small hand was halfway between IX and X. The longer clock hand was directly over VI.

"Since when did you want us to learn hieroglyphics?" Lila asked, raising a brow as she pulled the covers over her slender body.

"Never; they are Roman Numerals, Lila," Leon replied, smirking to himself after overhearing Lila muttering incoherently. "The 'I' is 1, two 'I's' are 2, 'V' is 5, and 'X' is 10. You should figure it out from there, dear fraternal sister."

"What?" Lila asked, confused. She heard an irritated groan from her brother, to which she groaned back louder.

"I guess we know where Leon inherited his brain from," Delia whispered jokingly to Anabel.

"My brain, but Ash's confidence," Anabel whispered back. "Lila has a lot more confidence, but relies more on intuition rather than factual knowledge. I love them both."

"You know you should," Delia whispered, giving her a strange look.

"I do! I do!" Anabel quickly replied, gesturing her out the twin's bedroom. "Good night, my beautiful children!"

"Good night, Mom! Good night, Grandma Delia!" Lila and Leon exclaimed back as Anabel switched the lights off. The unique twins snuggled warmly underneath their handmade blankets, eagerly waiting for the next day to hear more of their parents' wondrous adventures when the world of Pokémon was at its darkest hour.

* * *

**Hmm, I'm not writing a lot like I used to. I hope that's not a big problem for most of you. Then again, this tale is still in its primary stage. I've actually dreamt about this entire story with me as the narrator watching over the Pokémon world. I felt so excited that I wrote my ideas before they disappeared :p. **

**Anyway…**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts regarding this chapter.**

**Ciao! **


	5. Rendezvous

"**Senioritis" is such a bittersweet illness for many seniors around this time of year. By now, seniors should have heard from the colleges they applied to and as for me, I've already been accepted to my college of primary choice. I planned it one step ahead with early decisions and such and I feel so carefree now. Of course, senioritis has slightly affected my work, both in school and here, meaning that I've been slacking off. Heh, I'm still considered a top and model student, but I sense that even my teachers are beginning to worry.**

**Regardless, I'll just keep doing whatever I feel I must do. Do what you must do.  
**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**A day more peaceful than the last: who could ask for more?

Such days were reminders to cherish everything meaningful in life as the future would continue veiling surprises, both good and bad. Human and Pokémon alike understood what it meant to find sentimental value and meaning in most things they came in contact with, whether they knew it or not. The skies were clear blue and the air had the scent of fresh morning dew. With the lightest tinge of red-orange creeping up from its mountainous horizon, the region of Kanto and its inhabitants resumed living life.

The Ketchum residence was no different.

Mr. Mime, ever dutiful and content with the household chores ever since its decision to stay with Delia and her special gourmet of homemade recipes, tended the front garden with a bright-eyed smile. Pallet Town's paper boy, content with the honest, quiet life, flung a curled newspaper to Mr. Mime as per usual in his daily route around town. An aspiring nine-year old, yearning to become a Trainer much like the young ones of his charitable customer, had always felt strangely motivated and empowered as he passed that home.

_Over there in that house, a legend… was born_, he thought to himself, a faint smile extending up his slightly round left cheek as he continued biking to his next customer.

"Mime, Mr. Mime," Mr. Mime said to itself, scanning the front page of the _Kanto Chronicles_, eager to find a story to present to Delia.

_Mimey, I can still read! I'm not THAT old!_ Delia's words echoed in his mind. Mr. Mime remained cheery while still skimming through the paper, having inherited some of her charitable, yet blissfully unaware kindness over the years.

"Mime… Mime… Mi-Mime Mime Mime…," Mr. Mime hummed, walking back into the house to find a broom sweep the footpath.

Making its way through and looking in the utility closet near the small flight of stairs, Mr. Mime searched through Delia's other cleaning tools and various house clutter. It was too preoccupied with finding the broom that it did not sense both Lila and Leon swiftly passing from behind and accidentally pushing the Mime Pokémon into the closet. Its singularity on its goal completely ignored all outside activities.

"Good morning, Mom and Grandma!" Lila greeted exuberantly, grinning widely as she took her seat at the table.

"Morning, twins," Anabel and Delia replied, finishing their cooking for the entire family. Leon crouched next to Pikachu and Espeon; the two house Pokémon ate ahead.

"Morning, you two," Leon greeted, softly petting both family Pokémon.

"Pi-ka," Pikachu sighed contentedly, having swallowed the remnants of Pokémon food in his mouth while Espeon purred quietly to the touch.

"Gee, only six days left until Lila and I become official Trainers," Leon said. "How was it like traveling with Mom ten years ago?"

"Es-pe Espeon," Espeon mewled, stretching her neck forward before resuming breakfast from her bowl. Leon nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"And Pikachu."

"Pika?"

"You belonged to my dad. Lila and I still don't know much about him since Mom kept quiet about it all this time and Grandma Delia took long walks around Pallet." Leon softly squeezed his small chin and looked up in contemplation. "And come to think of it, it was only some time ago that I discovered my ability to communicate with Pokémon like Mom did at the same time Lila's hands and feet momentarily glowed blue when we—."

"Leon! Breakfast!" Anabel reminded, interrupting his conversing with Pikachu. Leon forcibly stood up on his feet, pulled in by his mother's magnetic call. He sat at the round table, across from his sister with his mother and grandmother on either side.

He and Lila began consumption of their food, suddenly overcome by hunger to even care about Leon's curiosity about their mysterious father. While the siblings happily munched away with a simple stack of Combee syrup-coated, buttered flapjacks and drank their full glasses of orange juice, Anabel and Delia discussed about matters that sounded too complicated and quiet for the twins to either understand or hear. Their voices overlapped with the early morning crows of the neighborhood Dodrio.

"So I need to go check on the young Professor, dear," Delia said; the first sentence Lila and Leon were able to listen from the conversation clearly.

"I'm telling you that he's out of town, probably visiting either Viridian City or the Indigo Plateau," Anabel reasoned. "He's been so busy with these extra occupations that Tracey can actually be considered the full-time Researcher of the Kanto region now since he's working as a part time Gym Leader and Kanto Champion."

"Now Anabel, you know he still needs time and these things are… well," Delia summed, losing her next set of words. "The closest thing he's got to home is me and Tracey. We've been there for him when his grandfather eventually forfeited to old age."

"Even I was surprised," Anabel interjected. Lila and Leon exchanged looks, finishing the last bites of their morning meal as they noticed that their elder family members still pretty much had full plates.

"I think we should go," Leon whispered, pointing a thumb at Pikachu and Espeon. The Pokémon left through the small door installed on the back door for fresh air and exercise to work off the extra calories. As he slowly pushed his chair with his behind, Lila stopped him with her arm.

"Wait for a minute," Lila whispered back. "I'm curious."

"Curiosity killed the Delcatty, you know," Leon mumbled, sitting back down as Anabel and Delia continued talking about some young Researcher. "I don't think that they know we're still in the room."

"Just listen," Lila said impatiently through her gritted teeth.

"Anyway, you'll never know unless you try," Delia said, apparently ending the conversation as she stood out of her seat. "It's a chance I took in leaving behind the royal Aura Guardians for a simpler life. It's a chance I took with my nomadic husband from another region. And it's a chance you took with Ash." Anabel looked down, breathing softly upon the facts presented to her.

"You're right, Delia," Anabel admitted in defeat. "I think he might need some extra support now. He lost his grandfather five years ago, which was just as bad of losing his best friend _ten_ years ago. He's still normal as anyone's concern, but he's just as hurt as me, you, and the rest of our close friends. Maybe he's even the worse off…"

"I'm glad you finally understand, dear," Delia said, smiling and walking out of the kitchen. "Now that I have my responsibilities for the day, I believe you have yours with your children." She went out, having gotten her prepared purse off the counter and changing her footwear from slippers to slip-ons. With the front door heard opening from the turn of the knob and close with a click, Anabel got up and collected the dishes, partially cleaned of food.

"You kids mind helping me out since Grandma Delia is out?" she asked.

"No problem!" they answered loyally.

* * *

"Thanks for the help, kids," Anabel said, sitting on a soft chair in the living room. Lila and Leon took their place on the long sofa adjacent from their mother's chair, accepting her gratitude with familiar grins. A whole minute had passed and the mother and her children had one same thought.

"You know, Mom, it doesn't take empathetic abilities to know what we want," Lila spoke, breaking the warm silence. The rays of the sun shone through the window, upon the mahogany wooden table and Delia's fine tea set from Snowpoint City in front of them.

"Just to point out the obvious, you two really, _really_ want to listen more to yesterday's tale," Anabel surmised, placing her delicate hands on her lap. A faint, reminiscing smile appeared on her dainty pale face, showing that she was just as excited about this as her offspring were.

"Anytime you're ready, Mom," Leon said, "to give us more visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads… Ow!"

"That was a poor metaphor, bro," Lila remarked, reeling her hand back to her side, shaking it from the recoiling sensation.

Anabel closed her eyes and smiled. She was warmly happy to divulge her adventurous past to her ever enthusiastic children; their lives were open books to each other for as long as they stayed together.

* * *

"Bon voyage, everybody!" Ash yelled, waving his arms in the air along with Pikachu from the deck of the motor boat. Anabel delicately waved her fingers, bidding adieu to all their friends left back at the Viridian Port. The boat softly roared and the distance increased from feet to yards to miles in a matter of minutes.

"I'm getting something to eat so I can pass the time gagging along the way," Paul muttered, heading under the deck.

"Isn't he the _greatest_ traveling buddy you can find?" Ash asked sarcastically. Anabel and Pikachu laughed.

"Well, think of it this way, Ash," Anabel said. "We only need five months to find Cipher's stronghold, stop them for good, and save Giratina and the Orre region. And you've encountered Paul several times in one year in Sinnoh."

"You get used to his rough personality, I guess," Ash replied, leaning on his arms upon the lacquered, glossy rail. "He convinced me, at least during our training in Iron Island that he can change for the better."

"He still hasn't entirely reformed; he still relapses into the harsh, brutal Trainer he's made himself known for," Anabel pointed out. "Remember back the first three months of Iron Island training?"

* * *

"_Now! Go, Poké Ball!"_

"_Gron!"_ _Aggron groaned, its fate ultimately resigned into the spherical capturing device. _

_The Poké Ball warbled about as Paul and his Hariyama gazed intently for the end result of the battle. Ash, Anabel, Pikachu, and even Riley and his Lucario observed from behind the rocks. After a few seconds had passed, the ball stopped moving. The center button of the red and white containment unit had untimely stopped blinking red._

"_Hmph…"_

"_Hari…"_

_Paul and Hariyama walked over to the inactive Poké Ball, picking it up and examining it with his dark blue Pokédex. By some unknown force of apprehensive hostility, Ash abandoned his cover, running up to Paul, upset about something._

"_Paul! I thought you weren't going to examine every Pokémon you capture anymore!" Ash shouted. Paul exhaled sharply, abruptly closing the cover of his Pokédex with a steady flick of his fingers._

"_Force of habit," Paul said curtly, not even looking Ash in the eye before walking away with Hariyama. "Besides, I'll admit that this Aggron is something else. I might actually make something out of it, see." _

"_Oh, Paul…" Ash watched Paul walk off farther to another spot of Iron Island until coming to a sudden stop._

"_You should tend to your own Pokémon first," Paul suggested, resuming his pace._

"_Huh?"_

"_Ash!"_

"_Pikapi!"_

"_Your Egg is about to hatch!" Riley yelled. "Your very own Riolu is coming!"_

"_What?!"_

_

* * *

_"That was some day," Ash recalled, feeling a brisk nod from the fur on Pikachu's head. "Paul caught his Aggron and I got to raise Riolu the moment I handed over Gallade's ownership to you, Anabel. I still could have sworn that Paul was about to release Aggron the moment he scanned it." Anabel nodded in agreement.

"We each got a new Pokémon to assist us in our cause, although Gallade's been on this team as long as you and I have," Anabel said thoughtfully.

"You still treated him as if he was also the newest addition to the team," Ash said. The salty breeze of sea air went through their faces. Anabel yawned, covering her gaping, exhausted mouth.

"Mmm, well we have three days until we reach Orre and I might as well catch up on some well-deserved sleep," Anabel said, taking six miniature Poké Balls in her hands. "The Pokémon should at least enjoy this outside, don't you think so too? The Captain granted permission, considering that he has a Chatot perched upon his shoulder and his first mates are a pair of Machoke."

"Good idea," Ash concurred, removing five Poké Balls from his belt. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder. "Come out, everyone!" He and Anabel simultaneously tossed enlarged Poké Balls, revealing their selective and favorable team for the departure in a bright flash. Joining Pikachu were Sceptile, Charizard, Floatzel, Tyranitar, and Lucario, promising to be on their best behavior without causing minor conflict among one another. In other word, little or no roughhousing would place them on his good side. The hero conglomeration was soon added by the additions of Espeon, Alakazam, Metagross, Chimecho, Gallade, and her Snorlax.

Ash felt a sharp chill penetrating down his spine.

"Uh, can this boat support them all?" Ash asked, somewhat shakily from seeing the great mass before them.

"Relax. The upper deck is wide enough for them to spread about," Anabel replied. "The Captain said that this boat of his can hold two Steelix in one corner." She heard Ash exhaled calmly, even with all the various noises, cries, and grunts of twelve different Pokémon scattering around. "See? Think of this as a small cruise ship. We should enter Orre with relaxed smiles instead of serious scowls."

"How do you know so much?" Ash asked; his tone amazed. Anabel shrugged innocently.

"Out of the way!"

Ash and Anabel both discovered Paul sprinting towards them with one hand covering his mouth and the other on his stomach. His blue and black jacket was off; he wore a neck-high turquoise muscle shirt. He ran in between them, disregarding any living being in his way as he ran to the back of the boat.

"Uh, Paul?" Ash asked inaudibly. The next sound he and Anabel heard were retching groans and repulsive splashes on the ocean trail.

"Oh, my!" Anabel gasped. They approached Paul, who was still regurgitating his remaining breakfast into the ocean trail of the boat.

"Ugh, this is why I would rather ride a wild Sharpedo while wearing nothing but boxers than to sail on this unstable, pathetic boat," Paul groaned, directing his head back to the side and vomiting for the third time. The Pokémon around their area, including the wild Wingull and Pelipper soaring above, observed his rare moment of pathetic weakness.

_This boat ride was so worth it_, Ash thought, a devious smirk planted on his face. The Wingull and Pelipper flew alongside the boat, ascending in altitude as Paul heaved again; his disgusted groans louder than the last.

* * *

The overseas trip passed rather quickly since their minds were pretty much occupied from there on out. The trio of divine dream prophecy held onto the main objective at hand as their boat neared Gateon Port, the drop-off and rendezvous point with Michael.

"This short cruise was nice while it lasted," Anabel said, seeing the exotic land of Orre unfold as they got closer. An unnaturally cold hair blew through her lavender hair. Her slender body shivered and goosebumps momentarily erupted under her sleeved arms. "G-Guys? Is it just me or did i-it get cold all of a sudden?"

"I didn't feel anything," Ash said, shrugging.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"Don't tell us you're losing it now that we're here in Orre," Paul scoffed, folding his arms unimpressed.

"I'm not!" Anabel retorted, her lower lip quivering. "It's just… even from this distance, I can feel their pain." Ash's eyes widened while Paul raised a thick skeptic brow.

"Whose pain then exactly?"

"The people conquered by Cipher and Shadow Giratina, right?" Ash ascertained; Anabel joined his side. He placed an arm around her waist for comfort, to which she sighed approvingly. He also heard Pikachu's throat swallow hard. "Pikachu, you feel that too?"

"Pika Pikapi," Pikachu said, staring several miles beyond the approaching port. His short, warm breath blew into Ash's neck. "Pika. Pi-kachu."

The foghorn of the boat activated, blaring loudly to signal the climbing dock. The young heroes covered their ears the second the horn was used. The low sound echoed throughout the sea, the emptiness carrying the short range of sound waves. The Flying Pokémon suddenly veered away from the direction of Orre, not because of the boisterous horn. The irksome sounds only alerted them to the impending, blooming disaster ahead.

"Attention, travelers! This is your steadfast sailor, Captain Friedrich, speaking! We are docking at Gateon Port in less than ten minutes!" the Captain's voice over the PA rang. "Remember to take what _only _belongs to you upon leaving. That is all."

"You heard him, guys," Ash said, "the minute we step off and into this new land, there will be _no_ turning back! Who's ready?"

"I am!" Anabel exclaimed.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Can we get on with this?" Paul demanded impatiently. "I did not join to find sentimental value under a rock at some desert. I—."

"… Only joined in order to have other worthwhile competitors still alive by the time this is over and to find a style that would not let you make the same mistakes Reggie made while still showing some respect towards others," Ash interrupted, speaking his motives on his behalf. Paul grunted roughly, glaring back at the still lively port before the boat.

"Hey! If you guys can not kill each other by the time we find Michael, it would be the world's first miracle in Orre," Anabel said, signaling to her boyfriend and his rival that she and Pikachu were descending down the ramp. Ash and Paul exchanged glares. Their palpably strong rivalry, though at a ceasefire, still continued to burn from each other's dark eyes.

"Thanks for the ride, Captain," Ash thanked; he, Anabel, and Paul bowed respectfully before the burly, experienced sailor.

"Anything to help save the world and all," the Captain replied, saluting them off. "A little word of sea wisdom: in a land of people you consider strange, remember that they consider you stranger than they be."

"Uh, understood," Ash said hesitantly, slowly saluting back with Anabel. Paul remained as casual as he could with his hands in his jacket pockets and his cold eyes fiercely shut tight.

With a final wave of good-bye, the young Aura Guardian and his fellow heroes, empowered by the mystical forces of dream and shadow, traveled the small port, observed several people talking by a Poké Mart and visiting a popular building with some large neon Poké Ball that represented a small café for mainly sailors and visitors.

"Michael was going to meet us where, exactly?" Anabel asked. Her soft eyes were in wonder, viewing the seaside Gateon Port as if she had never been to the ocean. Her breath was quiet, inhibiting the excited curiosity deep within her self. "The Krabby Café?"

"I'd really like to sight-see too, Anabel," Ash said, also astounded by the fact he was thousands of miles away from home by ocean, "but then if we continue dawdling, there won't be anything to sight-see left."

"So there's something we can all agree on," Paul said abruptly, coming to a stop.

"Paul, what's u—?!" Ash bumped into a large figure, loosing his balance. He and Pikachu fell flat onto their rears, each rubbing the forehead that collided into the hulking person.

"Ash!" Anabel cried in concern, kneeling to his side.

"I'm fine," Ash said immediately, helping Pikachu back onto his shoulder. He faintly heard Paul exhale sharply as well as snide chuckling from an unidentifiable voice. "I'm really sorry, mister. I…" He looked up at the imposing figure, clad in a red shirt revealing his muscular stomach and black cargo shorts. His yellow hair was shaved into the form of a block over his head.

"Hmm, I wonder why there are kids playing out on the streets," the strange man mused. The trio glowered at him while he only took it as a cute act of defiance. "Haven't you heard? The streets are no place for children to play while Cipher rises into power once again and their new beast publicly attacks at the time of their choosing."

"We're here to stop Cipher!" Ash proclaimed, standing up to face the threatening figure, laughing the same snide laugh he heard earlier.

"Ha! I remember that a kid much like you grew into Orre's savior in a short time," he said, his foolish smirk bending into a furious scowl. "I despised losing to him. A mere kid against me! You kids should know when you're outmatched by the great Zook!" He threw a Poké Ball into the air, releasing a Zangoose to his side.

"Zang Zangoose!" the Zangoose growled, extending its claws without a single word from its Trainer. From what Ash could see, it was a normal Zangoose issuing a challenge on behalf of the thug called Zook.

"If it's a battle you want, then you're so getting one!" Ash declared, getting into battle stance. "Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, leaping into action from his shoulder and confronting Zook's Zangoose.

"You can do it, Ash!" Anabel cheered.

"Hurry up and waste this lowlife loser of a Trainer so that we could move on," Paul said, unaffected by Zook's supposed threat. Zook crossed his bulky arms, amused by the young trio's valiant panache.

"In a hurry to lose, are we?" Zook asked tauntingly. "Fine! I'll go first and end it for you! Zangoose, use Slash!"

"Pikachu, dodge it!"

"Pika!" Pikachu grunted, somersaulting away from Zangoose's range. Its sharpened, black claws barely even touched the agile Mouse Pokémon.

"Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!"

Pikachu's stored electricity was loosed into a mass of hundreds of thousands of volts, quickly striking Zangoose at the scarlet red zigzag stripe on its chest. The powerful surge managed to overwhelm the Cat Ferret Pokémon, leaving it an electrified mess on the concrete. Its white fur coursed with the remaining paralyzing static.

"Z-Z-Z-Z-Zang," Zangoose groaned as electricity continued flowing through the tips and stands of its hair.

"What are you doing?! Get up!" Zook demanded harshly, stomping his foot wrathfully. "I'm not going to lose to some brat again!"

"I think you just did, you pathetic thug," Paul retorted, smirking as he pointed out Zangoose's condition. The Cat Ferret Pokémon was struggling on its fours, aching as Pikachu's static coursed through its limbs and freezing it into place. "Zangoose is paralyzed, a side effect of Pikachu's Thunderbolt. It can't survive another hit. No matter how else you look at it, I'd say this battle is over and that you shouldn't even be considered a Pokémon Trainer. Now stay out of our way or else."

His taunting was the final straw.

"You cocky brats!" Zook roared, cracking his fists and charging in towards Paul. The violet-haired Trainer expressed amusement without opening a single eye or even unfolding his arms.

"Paul, watch out!" Ash warned. Zook's towering body shielded him from his sight as the thug charged in to beat him up.

"Too late," a gruff voice said.

Neither Ash nor Anabel knew who spoke, whether it was Paul or Zook. Dark light emerged between the two of them. Anabel was kept safe in Ash's protective arms with Pikachu in her arms. The light became a strain for their eyes, barely keeping them open to see what was happening with Paul and Zook.

"What's happening?" a bystander asked, worried about the sudden change of atmosphere as he and his friends hung out by the docks.

"Shadow Giratina's returned! It's coming to eat us all!" a female in his group screamed. The following propaganda caused everyone else to panic, having caught of the source of dark light. They all fled into buildings, locking them shut and tight as possible.

"Guys! Long time, no see!" a new, familiar voice exclaimed. Ash and Anabel discovered the red, spiky-haired Michael, with his little sister Jovi attached behind, running towards them. "What's going on?"

"Michael and Jovi! You've made it!" Ash and Anabel greeted, briefly giving him and Jovi fist bumps and hugs respectively.

"I'm glad to see you guys made it to Gateon Port, but it's not safe here now," Michael said, pointing out the shrouding, bright darkness of Paul's confrontation with Zook. "… Wait. Who's that with Zook?"

"You know that horrible thug?" Anabel asked, widening her eyes.

"Jovi hates him as much as you do," Jovi said, fitting herself in Ash's arms for protection alongside Anabel and Pikachu. "Thug give you trouble?"

"Long story… Where were you, Michael?" Ash asked. "We've practically search everywhere in this port town to find you. We weren't told of an exact rendezvous point, which is how we ended up battling that guy."

"Sorry, but Jovi insisted that she came along for the ride as long as she was under my protection," Michael explained. The darkness and the accompanying earth rumblings lessened. The personage of Zook became visible before them. The thug suddenly collapsed, quaking in fear while curled in a fetal position. He fell before a young man whose purple hair flowed like wispy smoke and whose black eyes glowed and glared like the infinite nightmares of the abysmal new moon.

"Paul!" Ash yelled, running towards the aftermath of Paul's wake. Anabel, Jovi, and Michael followed. Paul's hair fell back into place after one calm breath, over his forehead and his ears. His mood relaxed.

"Like I said, a complete waste of time," Paul remarked, looking down at the formerly overconfident thug cowering on the concrete, muttering "Dar… is watching me… Dark… is watching me…" over and over.

"Yeah, but did you have to go overboard and use Darkrai's power on him?" Ash asked.

"He refused to listen to our warnings; it was only fair that I did something about it," Paul said nonchalantly. The mention of Darkrai got Michael and Jovi to ponder about their last meeting with Ash and company in Professor Oak's lab.

"Darkrai… so this scary guy's the third hero of Cresselia's predicted prophecy?" Jovi asked.

"The prophecy was not created by Cresselia, sweetie," Anabel corrected, "she was but a humble messenger who wants the balance of this world saved by three worthy Trainers who are capable of controlling a unique and powerful aura signature, her psychic powers of healing, and Darkrai's dark illusions."

"Eh, not to interrupt a riveting tale, but let's discuss this on the way to Professor Krane's lab," Michael suggested, receiving nods of agreement from present company and a low snort from Paul. "To the upgraded Desert Crosser!"

* * *

**Just to expand this story into more chapters and to leave you all in cliffhanging stitches, I'll leave the tale at this point. I may or may not be able to add more chapters during my Spring Break of the week of April 13, provided that I don't have too much English work on **_**Hamlet**_** to do**.

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated.**

**Ciao! **


	6. Reincarnate

**As far as I'm concerned about the timeline of the story, there will be seven tales to the past in accordance to the present week, before Leon and Lila turn ten and become official Trainers. Possible sequel if I'm not too busy? Each tale will consist of several chapters, varying at length under my whim. Well, this is the layout I have aimed for this sequel. **_**From Servant to Stardom**_** was planned to have fifty chapters and to be concluded by the same date of its birth; the latter I'm also applying to this one with an unknown amount of chapters and an epilogue altogether. But we'll discuss this later.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**Under Michael's direction, he led the outside trio of unique heroes and his little sister to the outskirts of Gateon Port. Not much could have been said or done about the damage from the disruptive encounter with Zook and the draining of Paul's very little patience. With a curtly smirk, the symbiotic container of Darkrai looked away with the belief of his involvement was justified. Ash and Anabel disapproved of his jumping the gun, but if there was something that they all agreed, they could finally move on to Professor Krane's laboratory.

Bystanders and local Trainers stood aside from their path, having witnessed the horrible display of ferocious, blood-chilling power and aggression. If an outsider was capable of all this hysteria, then what of the other two traveling with him? Apology would not do much until the port people had fully recovered from the terrifying sight. Discovering Cipher's second rebirth and third rise to power along with the inclusion of the ultimate XD00∞ was one thing for most people of Orre; they did not need the confirmation that power with allegiance unknown to them showing up and causing mayhem on the first day of arrival.

"Here's my upgraded hovercycle," Michael presented to the group his trusty chrome-white transportation upon visiting the sight of the unending desert sands half-covered in darkness and solar light. The faraway trio examined it curiously, seeing two newly polished chrome passenger carts on both sides of the hovercycle. "They were recently equipped for a fresh start, courtesy of Perr and his grandpa. They look a bit tight, but I think you guys can fit into snugly."

"I'm riding solo, see," Paul immediately spoke, taking his seat on the seat left of the ride. Michael observed confusedly, slightly scratching his burgundy spiky hair while glancing at Ash and Anabel.

"What's up with—?"

"Long story," Ash interjected, holding his hands up to stop his question.

"I've got time, especially since it would roughly take about ten to twenty minutes from here to the Pokémon HQ Lab," Michael reasoned.

"Yeah! Jovi wants to know about the Purple Meanie too!" Jovi exclaimed, clicking her heels in delight. Anabel petted her head gingerly, smiling upon the blue-haired girl's precocious innocence.

"May I?" Anabel asked Paul, who was lounging in his seat, waiting for the ride to start.

"Be my guest," he said without another thought, staring at the somewhat bright desert sky. Anabel looked back to Jovi, pretending to inhale deeply through her mouth to incite excitement and anticipation from the eager girl with the physical shape of a Kirlia. Ash and Michael leaned in close to observe and listen.

"Simply put, Jovi, his daddy was killed by the leader of Team Galactic for supposed incompetence before his eyes and his older brother gave up being a Trainer after losing one battle against Brandon the Pyramid King," Anabel explained rather quickly, "so Paul figured that he wasn't going to be weak, kind, and easy-going like the rest of his family. So he became emotionally detached after undergoing a cheap lobotomy and thereby—."

"Enough," Paul interrupted austerely, holding what seemed to be a phantasmal fireball of burning jet-black with an inner blood red core upon the palm of his hand. "With all that babbling of yours, I believe you've lost the girl after mentioning 'Team Galactic.' Wouldn't you agree, little girl?"

"Um, w-what's a 'Team Galactic'?" Jovi asked, having been frightened to the bone as white as her shirt by Paul's interruption. Anabel did not look threatened by Paul's dark scowl. Protected by the blessing of Cresselia regardless, she knew he would not dare attack her.

"_Anyway_, it's time for Michael to take us to Professor Krane," Ash suggested loudly, bumping his elbow on Orre's youngest but second savior.

"Uh, right! Jovi, you're riding behind me," Michael directed, to which he received an energetic hug from. "And Ash and Anabel, can you ride in the unoccupied car together?"

"Already on it," Anabel replied, having been helped into the right compartment car by Ash.

"Finally… Just don't make out along the way," Paul said bluntly. The faces of his two unlikely comrades profusely burned bright red in mortification, shocked at his sudden lowbrow insult. "… What? As if you haven't enjoyed the taste of each other's tongue and saliva already. Hmph…"

"PAUL!!"

"Tongue and saliva?! Icky, icky grossness!!!"

* * *

"Krane? We made it!" Michael yelled, gazing upon the strangely quiet laboratory. He woke his napping sister, still clinging onto his back from the ride.

"Where is everyone?" Ash asked, climbing out of the side car and helping Anabel step gingerly out.

"This better not be a surprise," Paul warned, leaping out his seat in cold silence.

"Honestly, I am not aware of events that take place while I'm not home," Michael said, shrugging calmly.

"Mommy! Jovi and her big brother are home!" Jovi exclaimed blissfully, running up to the automatic front door and inside before anyone could have stopped the young dynamo. "And we have guests!" The older teens took a glimpse through the glass door from a distance, noticing that there were no people within sight. No receptionist or lab assistance in sight.

Swollen dark clouds began to loom overhead, blocking out the sun's powerful rays from illuminating the earth. The only light visible was the ceiling light from within the HQ Lab. A churning feeling of emptiness swirled within the pits of the group's individual stomachs, though they made sure their faces did not display the exact emotions of their restrained apprehensions. However…

It was only a matter of time…

"EEK! MICHAEL!!"

The scream of his naïve little sister forced his body to act independently on a whim. Michael had to step in to save his family and friends, no matter what danger hid inside. His left arm, though sleeved, felt bare. There was no reason for him to hold onto the Snag Machine lest he wanted to end up a common Pokémon thief. He also had no reason on becoming one, considering all the Shadow Pokémon he snagged years ago were purified and legally belonged to him now. Except for one released back into the ocean…

"Michael, wait up!" Ash yelled, running behind alongside Anabel and Paul. The three of them caught up with Michael, who stood at the entrance of the building. His mouth hung open as he tightly curled his fingers on the doorframe on both sides.

The four youth found Jovi cowering on the floor in front of a squad of several gray-uniformed Cipher Peons and their swarm of Golbat; the one at front was presumed the leader of this ransacking operation.

"What the hell are you cretins doing here?" Paul demanded, furious at seeing them again. Anabel allowed herself into Ash's protective arms; the latter seething from the knowledge of their infamous task of ruining the global declaration of his becoming a true Champion a little over seven months ago.

"Yeah, what he said," Michael added, albeit more subtly.

The leading Cipher Peon glared through the protective black glasses of his helmet. He walked forward, ignoring the child watching him fearfully. He focused his sight on the leading boy with red hair, apparently not too pleased to see him again in a short time. He extended his right arm out, pointing daringly at _him_.

"You!" he growled, his finger shaking under stress. "I did not expect _you_ to return to the professor, your mommy and their workers until after we've taken what we needed from this decrepit lab… And I see you've brought friends to play with too."

"Well who do you think you are barging in the lab like this?" Ash intervened, stepping forth alongside Michael with Anabel safe by his side. Both opposing teams glowered at the other's presence in the HQ Lab.

"I am Naps," the leading Peon said, crossing his arms sternly. "I attacked this very same lab years ago in an attempt to kidnap Krane for his knowledge until _this_ boy stopped me." Michael's mood did not change, maintaining a straight cool face against his first real adversary ever. "He snagged my Shadow Teddiursa, forcing me to retreat with such great shame. Even at our rematch, the kid still defeated me and snagged more Shadow Pokémon with little difficulty at our lab."

"Can you blame him? You're playing for the weakest organization ever to exist," Paul remarked callously. Naps shifted his weight back on one foot, fuming at his open hostility.

"What do you know about Reverse-Cipher anyway, foreigner?" Naps asked defiantly.

"Reverse-Cipher?" Ash repeated. "What happened to just plain Cipher?"

"Reverse-Cipher is the ultimate rebirth of Cipher, marked by the day XD00∞ was also born into this plane of existence of ours," Naps explained, expanding his arms out as though he knew all. "Our reincarnated organization, _Reverse-Cipher_, now focuses on feeding XD00∞ as much power as possible in attempts to break the barriers of time and space and recreate the world as the ideal universe for Shadow Pokémon! We've already committed open crimes elsewhere in the Orre region, but this is the first _and_ last time you'll see us! And the light of day ever again!"

_Man, Cipher's gotten more crafty, and quite psychotic over the past years_, Michael thought.

"Ugh! This guy's nuttier than Cyrus!" Ash commented, bumping his left shoulder up. Pikachu received the alerting signal to hop off and face the Peons.

"Not as much as Ardos and his Admin Scientist, Ash," Paul said, taking a Poké Ball out of his pocket. "And I actually tried to stop these clowns while looking for answers. These losers are wasting everyone's time." Michael and Anabel were prepared to send out Pokémon as well upon the moment the Reverse-Cipher Peons made their move.

The tension thickened; the flow of time came to a faint halt in everyone's mind. The Golbat hovered menacingly over the earthbound beings, glaring intently upon the sole opposing Mouse Pokémon crackling static discharge from his red cheeks. One unity of bitter defiance matched that of the opposing side. Jovi silently curled into a ball while fighting back her fearful tears, unable to handle the tightening pressure of burning hate and thirst for usurpation. A quiet growl escaped Naps' lips, despising the lack of action from both sides. He was the first to give way under the pressure.

"Well…" he began calmly, yet eerily, "if you kids refuse our invitation, then we'll bring the party to you. Attack!"

The Golbat screeched altogether, diving in with sharpened fangs pointing at the direction of Pikachu's neck.

"Alakazam, help Pikachu out!"

"Honchkrow, stand by for battle!"

"Go! Jolteon!"

Anabel led the others with her Psi Pokémon to join the lone Pikachu. Alakazam covered Pikachu's right while Jolteon swiftly leapt to the uncovered left flank. Honchkrow hovered over the group, assigned to watch over them from above like the forboding black angel its Trainer was.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Jolteon, help with Helping Hand!"

"Jolt!" Michael's long-time partner barked. A discharge of silver-blue energy sprouted out from the hardened pins of Jolteon's fur, wrapping Pikachu in its energizing magic. Michael watched the process, feeling as proud as ever over the wonderful and unique gift of his late father leaving behind. With a confident grin, the Mouse Pokémon absorbed the last of the assisting power into his cheeks, swirling the two electric powers in his electric sacs.

"Go, Pikachu!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted, his bellow echoing throughout the empty halls of the HQ Lab as his electric surge quickly overpowered half of the condensed Golbat swarm. Their large bodies were fried badly, emitting black smoke from friction burn.

"Hmph, save some entertainment for us," Paul said, smirking at the horrified and muddled expressions of the Reverse-Cipher Peons. Naps did not look worried, however.

"Thanks for the Helping Hand, Michael," Ash said graciously, tightly holding his fist proudly.

"This is the Orre region, by which the main battle style is usually Double Battling," Michael explained. "Of course, it wouldn't apply if a Trainer has only one Pokémon."

"But these guys are not even following the rules, using more than two Pokémon on the field," Ash pointed. Michael dismissed it with a shrug.

"Oh, I wanted to battle with Ash," Anabel sighed, having witnessed the immediate teamwork of Pikachu and Jolteon as the first of their team's Double Battle pair.

"You can tag with me next time, assuming there's a next time—Whoa!" Ash yelped, having ducked from a Golbat hesitantly gnashing at his head. "Ugh, close one…" Anabel glared at the very same Golbat that made an attempt at Ash's precious blood.

"I dare you to try that again!" she threatened, beckoning Alakazam to her side by authoritative telepathic command. "Use Psychic!"

"Ala!" Alakazam grunted, presenting its right arm forward and pointing its spoon at the Bat Pokémon. "Ka-zam!" Its sharp eyes illuminating with mental power, the Psi Pokémon forced Golbat onto the ground, shattering its ability to continue battling under an area of intense gravity tinted light blue. The remained swarm flew in, blinded by their rage to avenge their fallen comrades.

"Time to put this to rest," Paul said, directing Honchkrow to the oncoming Golbat. "Sky Attack, go!"

"Honchkrow!" the Big Boss Pokémon squawked, levitating up as its power came in the form of the ethereal white veil composing its well-groomed black feathers. The Golbat caught sight of the charging Honchkrow, going after it instead of Alakazam.

_Alakazam, stall for Honchkrow with Psychic!_

"Ala-ka!" Alakazam boomed, firing a disrupting wave of its potent psychic energy at a small portion of the Golbat swarm. The attack was a surefire hit for a quarter of the Golbat. The remaining members began to question the next attack plan, whether to go after the vulnerable Honchkrow or to retaliate against Alakazam.

"What are you Golbat waiting for?!" Naps roared, holding a Poké Ball in his hand. "Don't make me have to use this Pokémon to finish these brats!" The Golbat clamored up, albeit their renewed organization was too late to even matter.

"Get going, Honchkrow!"

"Honch!" Honchkrow shrilled, flying in at the astonished Golbat. The radiating extent of its Sky Attack got to the remaining Bat Pokémon, forcing them out of the air and onto the ground where they belonged. "Hmph!"

"Rrgh! So much for 'borrowing' Team Rocket's Golbat reserves," Naps commented, seeing the last of the Bat Pokémon fall. "I bet the rest of the Pokémon we took from them are just as weak." Staring upon the Poké Ball in his hand with burning rage, he ultimately threw it into the air and called out the creature contained within. "You're on, Ursaring!"

"Ur-RING!" Ursaring roared furiously, bounding its thick arms onto the center of its chest cavity. Ash's head immediately perked up; his eyes stared into empty space towards Ursaring's direction.

"Uh, guys? Don't want to raise panic, but…"

"Ursaring's a Shadow Pokémon?" Michael filled in.

"A Shadow Pokémon _infected_ with XDrus," Naps clarified. "We scrapped a sparse amount of those wily microorganisms off of XD00∞, but back then those microbes were actually the Ankoku-ShadowPokérus. You know what that it, right? … Right! The ultimate virus that gave us total control over Giratina."

"I can see why," Ash said through his clenched teeth, focusing his sight on the berserk Hibernator Pokémon. "Ursaring's dark aura is nowhere near as terrifying as Giratina's."

"Hm? And now you know. Ursaring, use Shadow Blitz!"

"Shadow what?"

"Watch out!" Anabel yelled, tackling Ash onto the ground as a ramming shoulder tackle of Shadow Ursaring narrowly missed them. Pikachu and Alakazam went to their sides, concerned for their Trainers' plight. Paul and Michael stepped in front, keeping a diligent eye or two out for Ursaring's next attacks.

"Honchkrow, use Dark Pulse!"

"Jolteon, Charge Beam!"

The two concentrated beams of opposing energy froze Shadow Ursaring in its tracks. The Hibernator Pokémon bellowed in pain, yet Jolteon and Honchkrow were not even making ruffles of its brown fur. Ursaring was trapped in a struggle to break free from its emotional imprisonment enhanced tenfold by the enticing promise of power from a Pokérus. This was the difference between an artificial procedure and the ShadowPokérus infection; the devilish deal for ultimate power was made more realistic, but at what cost?

"The distraction's working," Michael confirmed. "Keep up the attacks, you two!"

"Just long enough until _he_ wakes up," Paul said, glancing dourly at the dozed-off Aura Guardian. He looked at Anabel and grimaced. "Wake him up!"

"Say 'please'?"

"Do it or _I'll_ wake him up."

… _Jerk._

"What was that?"

"Just hold off Ursaring, will you?" the exasperated vessel of the Lunar Pokémon asked, faking a smile while curling her shaking thin fingers behind her. Paul grunted indifferently and went back to command Honchkrow.

"Oof… Anabel?" Ash asked upon reopening his eyes, finding the young Salon Maiden on top of his legs. She was the first to rise upon her feet, lending a lifting hand out for her brash hero.

"I hope Golbat's sneak attack didn't make you forget," Anabel said, smiling amiably. "Shadow Pokémon won't hesitate to attack humans."

"I didn't; no need to worry," Ash replied, straightening out his cap over the messy raven black hair that covered most of his scalp. He woke up just in time to discover Honchkrow and Jolteon attacking the Hibernator Pokémon fruitlessly. A grizzly snarl escaped Ursaring's sharp canine teeth, followed by a Shadow Blitz wide enough to trap both Pokémon. Ursaring slammed its free arm upon Jolteon's vulnerable cranium, effectively putting it into unconscious submission.

"H-Honch-krow," Honchkrow coughed, having flapped out of Shadow Ursaring's range as it watched Jolteon thrown aside.

"What are you doing, Honchkrow?" Paul castigated, apparently disgruntled by the flight of the Big Boss Pokémon. Michael ran past him, the wind of his dash blowing against his bangs and jacket collar. The redhead Orre native sprinted into the battlefield that was formerly the HQ Lab reception floor, desperately seeking to aid his injured Lightning Pokémon. Oblivious to everything else, including the imposing Ursaring, Michael felt his heart twinge at the sight of his exhausted prized Pokémon.

_Excellent_, Naps thought, watching him tend to his wounded Jolteon in the middle of the scuffle. "Ursaring, attack him with Shadow Blitz!"

Jovi peeked from under the receptionist's table, observing in fright the lumbering Shadow Pokémon about to greatly maul her older brother. Her heart and mind wanted her to speak, but her trembling legs refused to move. More tears escaped from the corner nooks of her round bubbly eyes, unable to accept the fact that she was truly a complete scapegoat for her big brother.

_Jovi, move… Jovi, move! … Jovi… MOVE IT!_ Her voice within screamed, ringing in her ears. Jovi had stopped shaking, quickly standing up as if there was no tomorrow. "MICHAEL!" The volume of her innocent youthful voice caught everyone's attention with the major exception of the blind Ursaring stomping towards its stunned target.

Michael covered Jolteon's body with his own. The Lightning Pokémon's fur needles never harmed him since the day he evolved Eevee, a decision that was more painful than this supposed discomfort. Whatever happened from this point, Michael knew that Jolteon would be safe.

* * *

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle! Let's go!"

"Alakazam, use Focus Punch!"

"Honchkrow, Aerial Ace!"

The grunts and battle cries of his teammate's fellow Pokémon eased their burdens much. First off, Honchkrow flew over them leading off with a square jab of its flat beak at the center of Ursaring's stomach. Michael and Jolteon were free to life their heads up, watching with open smiles of relief as Alakazam sent a glowing right hook upon the same spot Honchkrow struck it. It was Pikachu that ultimately sealed the battle's fate with his oncoming Volt Tackle, glowing brightly in his prime.

"Pikachu, up at the chin!"

Ash's sudden command reached Pikachu in time, within prepared jumping distance. The distance was a minor two feet away. The electrical-brazen Mouse Pokémon leapt, tackling his golden-empowered skull under Ursaring's chin as directed. The Hibernator Pokémon hollered in painful confusion, stumbling about wildly on its hind legs until falling onto its back in fatigued cession.

Naps and the Reverse-Cipher Peons fumed in defeat. As the holder of its Poké Ball, Naps grudgingly held it towards Ursaring's direction, only to be met with a Dark Pulse that shot the spherical containment unit out of its hand. The grunts discovered Paul's Honchkrow hovering before them, smirking coldly with its crooked beak at their pathetic visages.

"You there!" Naps barked, referring to the shuddering Peon on his left. "Retrieve the Poké Ball this fowl knocked out of my hand!"

"A little late for that," Paul said, shaking his head in mock amusement as he and the others approached the fallen Shadow Ursaring. "You might want to look before you retrieve." From his blunt riddle, Naps and the Peons found Ursaring's Poké Ball lying dead and broken beyond repair on the cold laboratory floor. Naps snarled; his men froze and stiffened into position.

"Peons, fall back," he commanded calmly. The Reverse-Cipher Peons recalled the burnt Golbat from the confrontation's earlier scuffle before running out of the HQ Lab in disorderly mortification and shame. "We'll meet again." Naps snorted callously and walked, pointing his chin away from the youth that took him and his men down with somewhat relative ease. He felt the glares of the four youth, especially that of the one with the Pikachu. For some reason to him, he could actually feel that young man's power and desire for justice burning through his body just from his stare. He could feel his aura…

Once Naps left, Ash took a deep breath, restraining the fiery contempt he held towards the newly reemerged Reverse-Cipher and the darkest treatment towards Pokémon. His blazing aura, inherited from one of the greatest Aura Guardian from ancient history, simmered to a softer flame.

"Come on, guys," Ash said, kneeling by the Ursaring's side. The others knelt around Ursaring, ready. "Let's give this Pokémon its life back."

Jovi came out of the receptionist's desk, as well as the entire staff of the HQ Lab out from the back. It was the perfect moment for Professor Krane and the rest of his workers to witness the new way for Shadow Pokémon purification as Ash laid and pressed his hands upon the immobile Ursaring's chest. His powerful, chaste aura enveloped the Hibernator Pokémon entirely from its ears to its feet. The aura was formless, shifting as Ash began excising the dark aura like an eraser. The darkness emerged out of Ursaring's body, circling the aura like electrons to an atomic nucleus. A flash of green emerged from the ethereal blue aura once the darkness came together where Ash's hands where and dissipated completely without a trace.

The laboratory staff stared in awe. This was the first time anyone of them witnessed this kind of special power over aura. Indeed, it was decided that Ash Ketchum was the skeleton key, capable of unlocking the doors of all Pokémon's hearts. Even possibly the warped door to Giratina's shut heart…

"Michael, Ash, friends, you guys could have not come at a better time," Krane said, adjusting his glasses with a warm smile on his face. "I thought I was going to be taken again. Thank you all!"

"Yes! Thank you! But what they really wanted was our Purification Chamber so that no Pokémon could be purified ever again," Lily said, sincerely glancing at Ash, "but it seems that I stand corrected."

"Thanks, ma'am, but it was no problem, really," Ash said humbly. "I really couldn't have done it without my friends."

"Because one Reverse-Cipher army could've given him _so_ much trouble," Paul said sarcastically, yet indifferently. Lily looked at him, confused.

"And who might you be, young man?" Lily asked.

"Ah! Let's save the formalities for later," Krane stated, folding his arms behind his back. "After all, Reverse-Cipher apparently had no patience to talk before action. Anyway, Ash, Anabel, Paul…"

"Yes, Professor?" the trio asked. The staff went back to work under Lily's command while Michael promised a play date with Jovi with the Battle Simulator on the top floor.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, considering that time is now of the essence," Krane explained. "You do know that your main mission is to stop Reverse-Cipher and save Giratina before they manage to acquire Dialga and Palkia into their ranks, right?" He was replied with straightforward nods. "With power of time and space, they can capture almost any Pokémon in the world. Nay, the universe. This includes Legendary Pokémon like Lugia, Groudon, and even outer-space Pokémon like Deoxys. Their range would be limitless and the entire universe would be governed under the authority of their Shadow Pokémon army."

"This sounds gravely serious," Anabel said, covering her astonished gaping mouth.

"Reverse-Cipher will be able to spread the virus concocted with former ally Team Rocket with both Dialga and Palkia's powers," Krane continued. "Giratina was just the first step. But I can't explain everything to you just yet."

"Why not?" Ash asked.

"It's better for you to experience the Orre region for yourself, Ash," Krane said, patting the young man on his shoulders. "You and your friends must first weaken Reverse-Cipher's hold over Orre while keeping an eye out for Shadow Giratina. Weaken it as much as you can before fleeing as a measurement of how much left you need on becoming stronger as you travel Orre. This journey will be your ultimate yet!"

"So what do we have to do first, Professor?" Paul asked, his serious tone an evident sign that he was ready for action.

"First go to Dr. Kaminko's laboratory south from here, a short walk from here no doubt," Krane said. "Under my orders, he and Perr worked on a form of suitable transportation to take you three anywhere around Orre."

"We're capable of walking, you know," Ash interrupted.

"It'll take too long, especially under Orre's chaotic weather changes from a burning desert sun to a frigid dark sky," Krane explained strongly. The trio of heroes understood, signifying it with a simple nod of approval. "Anyway, go to Dr. Kaminko's lab and call me from that point. I will provide the next set of directions for you to follow up. Do you understand?"

"Right!"

* * *

**I actually enjoy thinking about how the whole story plays out in my mind. If I wasn't so busy or so laidback due to a minor senioritis infection, more chapters detailing the journey in Orre would be present. And while it was fun for me to watch you all jump the gun upon the first word of Ash's disappearance as his being dead, nothing's set in stone yet. What I'm making for all of you is what **_**you**_** or **_**I**_** want you to believe. Be cautious of the next I might throw in.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your feedback about this chapter. **

**Ciao!**


	7. Reconnaissance

**By popular demand and the need to add an extra chapter, I will briefly make this chapter about Ash's other friends preventing the spread of the shadow virus. I wish I could go into more depth about their adventures as well, and I might, but I have to make sure I don't overlook any detail at all. And as for Michael's team, yes I'm using the ones I gained from playing "Gale of Darkness" years ago, but that will be for all of you to read for yourselves as the tale progresses. **

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**_Seven months ago…_

The apocalyptic spread of wild, unrestrained darkness had begun the moment they left for intensive training of their newly acquired abilities. The remaining dutiful friends had split up into their planned pairs, traveling to preplanned locations across the wide lands of Kanto and Johto. These two regions, as far as anyone was concerned, was basically quarantined as soon as the word about Shadow Giratina and the infectious ShadowPokérus had made their infamous debuts into the terrified public. No one was allowed to leave or enter both Kanto and Johto unless there were extenuating, dire circumstances involved, such as the Elite Four stepping up to defend their homes.

The shadow virus had spread inconspicuously under Cipher's clever manipulation over a species' migratory pattern. It was only a matter of time until the secret could no longer be kept under wraps, considering that lives of precious Pokémon and frail, weak humans living nearby were at great risk. Few people knew where the ShadowPokérus had plagued exactly. Only with the right technology and access to satellite viewing could anyone decipher the plagued areas. So far, Gary and his partner Brock had made the first attempt of purification in the Viridian Forest.

The first Kanto duo entered the gaping dark entrance, finding the surrounding fauna to be eerily quiet and empty. The graying, monotonous leaves of the huge crowding trees fluttered noiselessly. Gary held his arm out in front of Brock, forcing him to stay in place.

"I'll go first," Gary announced, keeping his breathing pace even and steady. Brock could still tell that he was nervous. He had to speak out to him.

"Gary, the Viridian Forest was the first place to be hit because of that Spearow flock, led by the Fearow Paul captured months ago," Brock said, examining the shrouded regions of the forest for signs of possible life. "Perhaps the flock chased the forest-dwelling Pokémon out of here?"

A loud, nasal scream echoed within the deep chambers of the forest, enough to instigate the hasty flight of innocent Pidgey hiding from danger.

"Not everything's out of the forest yet," Gary said, tossing a Poké Ball in the air and calling out Umbreon to his side.

"Umbre!" Umbreon growled, crouching down on its fours as a way to pounce upon the first sign of an enemy. Its wide red eyes glared, examining the possible threats that posed before its Trainer.

Soft, rapid footsteps could be heard echoing down the dark grassy corridor. From their end, the volume of the footsteps increased. Whatever was making the ruckus, it was approaching Gary, Umbreon, Brock, and his released Croagunk. The same scream was heard again, only it was louder this time to point out that it was coming in closer.

"Get ready," Brock advised his Croagunk. The Toxic Mouth Pokémon took a few steps forward next to Umbreon and resumed his calm crouching.

"Croa… Croa… Croa…," Croagunk breathed calmly upon every inflation and deflation of his poison sacs.

"AAAAAHHH!"

"Here it comes!" Gary yelled. The duo and their Pokémon stood tall, planting their feet firmly into the ground. A silhouette of a short boy was made out from the entrance of the Viridian Forest. Visible light revealed him to be some sort of bug catcher, garbed in samurai armor with a katana hanging loosely in the sheath tied to his waist.

"Get out of the way!" the boy cried, running madly for his life past Gary and Brock.

"… Uh, who was that?" Brock asked.

"That's just that Samurai guy I faced very early in my journey," Gary explained casually, brushing off Samurai's dramatic theatrics from his memory. "Samurai insists himself on fighting young Trainers from Pallet Town. I easily beat his Pokémon with just my Squirtle, well back then anyway. I wonder if Ash fought him…"

"Uh, Gary?"

"Hmm?"

"Shadow Beedrill swarms!"

The last thing Samurai heard after he acquired a safe distance from the bizarrely deranged Beedrill was a conglomeration of battle cries from the Trainers and Pokémon he blindly ran past mixed with the ominous buzzes of the Beedrill's rapid wings. As he stopped to catch his breath, beads of sweat heavily raced down his heavy armor and dripped off coldly. Underneath the rim of his helmet, he cautiously examined the ravaged and dull route that was once teeming with carefree Pokémon.

"Ugh, what's going on with this world?" Samurai mused restlessly, briefly looking back at his old home of the Viridian Forest. "Years of coexisting peacefully with the Bug Pokémon then one day I'm surrounded in tight silk webbing and poisonous stingers. I get out of the house fleeing for my life instead of grabbing the last berry off my favorite tree. That's just not right!"

"That makes two of us, half-pint," a gruff voice concurred. Samurai froze, mechanically lifting his head up. A tall stranger with a strong physique and a Chikorita on his right shoulder stared down at him gravely. Samurai stumbled back on his feet, giving the stranger some space.

"Uh! W-Who are you?" he asked shakily, attempting to steady his hand while searching for his sword. "A-Are you from Pallet T-Town?"

"Pallet Town?" the stranger repeated, laughing hoarsely at his innocent question. "Well, I know a few people from Pallet Town. But that's not the point." He reequipped his serious persona. Samurai found himself standing up straighter and stiffer.

"Then, what _do_ you want, sir?" Samurai asked, clenching his teeth in fear of this powerful man. The man and his Chikorita replied with rough smirks. They meant no harm, but Samurai could not help on controlling his trembling.

"Did you happen to see two Trainers around here, half-pint?" the man asked as lightly as he could. "One of them happens to be the grandson of the famous Professor Samuel Oak and his partner happens to be the older brother of the current Pewter City Gym Leader."

"W-Why?" Samurai replied, involuntarily pointing back to the entrance of the Viridian Forest. "Are y-you going to help them with the insane Pokémon?" The man and his Chikorita chuckled lightheartedly.

"As much as I _want_ to, this is something only _they_ can do," the man explained, followed by the nods of Chikorita. "I'm here doing some recon of my own. So just stay out of trouble, half-pint. Got it?" Samurai nodded furiously without question. "Just so you know, I called all small Trainers 'half-pint.' Don't feel flattered."

The muscular man abruptly walked off in the direction of the Viridian Forest, the tails of his beige coat floating in the quiet, but frigid winds. Samurai regained his breath once the man was out of his sight, resuming his run from the madness that took over his home along with the rest of Kanto. Following the man's advice, he ignored everything else in his path and was set on finding a way, attainable in his lowly power, to help stop the darkness. His safest bet was to run to a Pokémon Center.

* * *

"_Hi! Are you two Coordinators Drew and Zoey?"_

"_Who wants to know? A fan, perhaps? Ow!"_

"_Drew, be nice! … So what's your name, handsome?"_

"_My name's Ritchie!"_

"_Pika Pi-ka!"_

"_And this is my partner, Sparky."_

"_Hmm, Ritchie… Did you know you look just like—?"_

"_If you're going to guess 'Ash,' then my recon should be worthwhile."_

"_Hey, Zoey. Even though this guy looks like a perfect clone of Ash, I already found a noticeable difference between the two."_

"_What's that, Drew?"_

"_If Ritchie here can figure out that people confuse him for Ash before they ask him, then he must be ten times smarter than the original."_

"_Oh, Drew…"_

"_Eh heh heh… Gee, guys. I wouldn't say I'm smarter than Ash, but I often think ahead before going into action."_

"_See? There you go, Zoey. What more proof do you need?"_

"_Mm-hm…"_

"… _Something tells me you're not convinced enough."_

"_GYYUUUUOOO!!"_

"… _Drew? I think that starting our Purification plan inside the Rock Tunnel was a horrible idea." _

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_GYYUUUUOOO!!!"_

"_Drew!"_

"_Okay! So, I'll… talk to you later! Bye!"_

"_Ritchie, wait!"_

_The young Ritchie left before either Zoey or Drew caught him fleeing into the infinite darkness of the Rock Tunnel. His direction was left a blur once he left the bright circular area of Absol's illuminating Flash. He left no sign once the quaking started to worsen off even more. Geodude and Graveler began their attempts to crush the flamboyant couple from the ceiling while several Onix slithered menacingly from underground. Their deep roars still can be heard, echoing throughout the hollow cave.  
_

"_Absol, you ready for this?"_

"_Sol!"_

"_Let's not forget to invite Gastrodon to the party, Drew. I'm sure they'll LOVE my guest of honor."_

_The commotion grew louder and more dangerous. Ordinarily, these Pokémon would not stand a chance against experienced, confident Trainers like them, but their disease forced them out of hiding. A narrow mind, focused only to battle and nothing else. Their aggressive numbers could prove fatal if given the chance to overwhelm their prey.  
_

_Ritchie and Sparky breathed heavily outside the Rock Tunnel's exit, the one closest to Lavender Town. Sparky looked back into the pitch-black cave, worried about the pair they were forced to leave behind. They can still hear the quarreling activity taking place, reinforced by more tremors and the collapse of several small boulders from the top._

"_Pika Pikachu," Sparky said, its tone worrisome._

"_I'm sorry, Sparky," Ritchie apologized, "but as much as we want to help them, Silver said that we cannot interfere. Only they can bear the burden of these strangely behaving Pokémon."_

"_Pika Pika?"_

"_He told us that we've been doing these guys a favor just by weakening the Pokémon for them to finish off. All we can do is to barricade them into one place for these guys to cure or something."_

"_Pika Pi-ka! Pikachu!"_

"_I don't like it either. But if there's any chance for us to step in, we'll take it. With OR without Silver's input!"_

"_Pi Pikachu!" _

_

* * *

Seven months later…_

_RUMBLE!_

_FLASH!_

"That takes care of the last of them," Gary said, lifting his gloved hands off the round head of a purified Bellsprout.

He, Brock, Drew, and Zoey, having teamed up at last, managed to clear another route near Fuchsia City within a record time of five days. The same days after Ash, Anabel, and Paul departed for Orre. The four of them combined sought out every destroyed nest and habitat of all the wild Pokémon living nearby, even around the borders of civilization itself. Their greatest motivation, the factor that pushed them forward in their progress to help save the world was to make their central friend, the foundation of their tower of friendship, proud. Ash was the main hero, no doubt. But what they have committed themselves to have made them heroes of both Kanto and their own individual justified rights.

"We're almost halfway done with Kanto by now," Brock said, pulling the Purification Gauntlets off his hands and stuffed them into the side pocket of his backpack.

"Does this mean more downtime for us?" Drew asked, casually pulling Zoey by her waist to his side. His free arm recalled both Roserade and Houndoom. "I mean, it almost takes us two weeks to make sure this ShadowPokérus is gone for good… or at least return into its benign form. His sassy redhead giggled, lightheartedly amused.

"Always trying to find the easy way of things, aren't you?" Zoey asked lightly.

"Easy? I worked hard in becoming a Top Coordinator," Drew said strongly. "It's only the things that interest me like Contests that I actually give a—."

"Same thing," Zoey interrupted, dismissing it with a swipe of her hand. "We're doing this for the better for the world. Ash, Anabel, and Paul are doing all the big work by confronting Cipher on their home turf and you're worried about a green bang falling out of place?" She was answered with a gentle flip of her bangs by Drew's hand.

"You can't fake this kind of looks," Drew replied, smirking widely and flashing his pearly white teeth. Zoey sighed graciously when he flipped his bangs, shaking her head in mock ignorance.

"What _are_ we going to do with you?" Zoey asked, still shaking her head softly. She noticed Drew's expression turn rigid as she felt a sharp pinch on her left ear. Her face expressed the same feeling of surprised pain as Drew's.

"What _we're_ doing… " Gary began; tugging Drew by his pale ear as he narrowly glanced at Brock on the other end.

"… Is teaching you about the value of control," Brock finished, pulling Zoey by her ear alongside Gary and mysteriously, his Croagunk.

Their business was done for now. The northern part of Kanto down to the center line was free from the influence of the ShadowPokérus. Their remaining work, however, involved the boundless scenery of the sea routes below, connecting to the Seafoam Islands, Cinnabar Island, and back to Pallet Town; both over and under the ocean blue. But for now, the four needed to rest. The job was troublesome, but someone had to step up to the challenge. It was time they went back to Fuchsia City and planned their next movement.

* * *

On top of the steep rocky cliff overlooking the Trainers that cleansed the route of Shadow Grass and Flying Pokémon, two mysterious characters that knew of their attempts of saving the Pokémon watched over them like guardian spirits. They both were rather impressed with their dedication of stopping a common foe they found through the wrongful use of a Pokémon's body and emotions through a formerly harmless virus.

The Chikorita, belonging to the man, ran up to him, urging him and his young partner to follow. Swaying its head leaf into the group's direction from below, the Chikorita rather insisted, strongly following its intuitive connection to nature. After all, the natural wildlife on the route they were on was a complete wreck. Trees were pulled and chopped off their roots. Various wild Pokémon, purified and terrified, rested upon the ground beaten and weak from their corrupting ordeal.

"You're worried about them and your fellow Pokémon, aren't you?" he asked, picking up his worried Chikorita.

"Chiko Chik-a!" Chikorita cried, squirming restlessly in his arms.

"Silver?" the boy asked, his face anxious as his Chikorita's. "Sparky can also feel the disturbance that the Shadow Pokémon made here."

"Pika-chu," Sparky agreed, its deep eyes sullen.

"Look, I told you, half-pint," Silver scolded, "we can't do a thing about this disaster Team Rocket caused." The boy looked at him, scared. "… Sorry, Ritchie. You must understand."

"But Team Rocket's broken up now, Silver," Ritchie reasoned, gripping his muscular arm. "No one found traces of the leader still alive after what happened back in Sinnoh. During Ash's awesome coronation…"

"Bah! I'm not easily convinced," Silver spat, recoiling his arm harshly out of Ritchie's hands. "At least some form of Team Rocket still exists somewhere. I don't know where exactly, but it was because of them that this happened."

"Silver," Ritchie sighed, pressing his temple tightly to quell his irritated mood. "How long are you gonna go about this 'Team Rocket is responsible for the world's destruction' business?" Silver merely scowled at the boy and his Pikachu, turning away heatedly. He was unable to look him in the eye, fearing that his own temper would get the better of him and that he might commit a regrettable act of consequence.

"Kid… Their agents used _me_ to get to Moltres!" he snarled, pounding his fist into his chest. Even his own Chikorita cowered at the burning temper that raged like an erupting Camerupt struck in the face. It hopped off, running to Ritchie's side. "I'm not going to endanger a beautiful, powerful bird like that to scum like Team Rocket! I truly cannot face Moltres unless I can assure myself that there are _no_ interferences ever again!"

"Then get your act together!" Ritchie retorted, suddenly covering his mouth and recoiling away. Silver calmed down, also mystified by his impulsive youthful defiance. His determinism reminded him of another. With a confident grin, he patted his young protégé on his capped head.

"We've seen what the young do-gooders we researched are capable of," Silver said. "Perhaps one more day we'll allot before we formally confront them. No doubt they've been brought together for a common cause." Ritchie smiled, looking in the dusky direction of the town they went to.

"And a common friend," he added.

"Pikachu!"

"Chik-a!"

* * *

**A short chapter with not much action, yes. But this merely focused on building the anime Silver's part in the story. And including Ritchie as his apprentice was just icing on the cake. Rest assured that they'll be seen in major events of the story as time progresses.**

**What of May, Max, Dawn, and Kenny in Johto, you may ask? If you can figure a pattern here, then the next time I deviate from the main story to their friends' quests, you can be sure they'll meet someone important along the way. An Elite Four member? GSC Silver? Officer Looker? Maybe even Barry?**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to know of your thoughts regarding this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	8. Initiative

**I greatly apologize for the long wait and rather pitiful lack of updates. I even started and worked on a chapter that supposedly follows this one at a period of free time. Please understand that AP exams were not to be taken lightly, even if you've been well-prepared for them. Fortunately, I felt prepared and even confident as I took them, but I digress. I will still update and continue writing at any chance I can get. But first, I need to get all my priorities straightened out. Plus, I will soon graduate as part of the Class of 2009!**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**Upon the strike of noon and the rising sun reached its pinnacle in the effervescent blue sky, shadows cowered in the safety of their casters. At this routinely time of day, the second day of the week, Anabel had left the bedroom to fix up lunch for the Pokémon, her children, and herself. Delia was still out visiting the young Professor, showering him and others along the way with her ever charitable kindness. Anabel did not have to worry about a strong woman like her and promised to resume sharing the riveting tale of her past adventure in Orre once the rumbling stomachs of the twins had been quieted by a simple meal. But with a story so alluring, so addictive and mesmerizing while on the wait, both Leon and Lila had agreed to help their mother out in the kitchen with the food, plates, and other miscellaneous kitchenware. They both shared many sympathetic traits from their mother, but the siblings also inherited several stubborn qualities from the mysterious father they have been learning about.

Aside from debating about how the fate of the father was kept a secret to them for more than nine years, Lila and Leon also discussed their plans of starting out their individual Pokémon journey. Their most popular topics included making the special bond with the first Pokémon and specializing in certain types. They also dreamt about marking their names into the world by becoming either a Pokémon Master or Top Coordinator. The odds were pretty much similar whichever career they would settle for.

But before they could boast about being the best, Leon and Lila still argued about which starter Pokémon was the best around the table. Anabel smiled faintly while tending to her cooking, overhearing their mild quarreling as another habitual ritual in the house.

"I'm telling you that Squirtle is an excellent Pokémon to start off with, Lila," Leon said. "A tough defender, a real contender; what more can you ask for?"

"A Pokémon that can strike hard and fast, that's what," Lila answered, placing her plate on her side of the table. "A Pokémon like Charmander will take me to far places and heights without a heavy back bulb or thick shell to slow it down."

"Sister, please listen to reason first before settling with Charmander," Leon said calmly. "You must understand that the bulb and the shell make Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and their evolutionary families unique."

_And here comes another lesson from Professor Leon_, Lila thought, rolling her eyes underneath her eyelids while Leon looked away. _I swear, he likes hearing himself talk…_

"The symbiotic bulb on Bulbasaur's back grows into a beautiful flower as it evolves, further increasing its Grass abilities and defenses," Leon began. Lila rolled her eyes again while Anabel giggled amusedly, resuming her attention to lunch. "And the shell of the Tiny Turtle Pokémon, did you know Squirtle was born with such a hard shell? Squirtle and its evolved forms sure can take a Focus Punch in the gut and not feel a thing! They can also return the favor with—."

"Bo-ring!" Lila exclaimed, droning out her exasperated moan as long as possible to annoy her brother. A dark shade of purple glared from his mature eyes. Lila momentarily cringed; she was used to subjugation from the hypnotic stares from the nine-year old scholar she called her _brother_. "That's the point for us _kids_ starting a journey. To learn and grow up alongside Pokémon is the main objective."

"It's really never too early to start showing interest," Leon shrugged.

"Okay, kids, play time can wait," Anabel interrupted cheerily, her hands full with the main dish still steaming fresh. "Maybe a nice meal will ease your crankiness."

"We're not cranky!" Lila and Leon yelled simultaneously, pouting in separate directions afterwards.

"I rest my case," Anabel said blithely, gingerly setting the steaming food upon the center of the table. "You guys can start eating ahead. I'm going to check up on Espeon and Pika…" She fell into a loss of words, numbly watching her hungry children scarf down the food placed upon their plates a second ago. The scene was shocking, yes, but somewhat adorable. _Glad to know that they don't hesitate when it comes to food._

_

* * *

_"My turn to wash the dishes!" Lila exclaimed, standing up from her chair with a few empty plates in her arms. Anabel and Leon exchanged brief glances, blinking simultaneously at her declaration.

"Oh my, Lila," Anabel said, sounding impressed, "I know for a fact that you're not one for doing the dishes. Taking the initiative for such a task is a sure sign of maturity."

"Well, the sooner everything's cleaned up, the sooner we can resume the tale," Lila stated, turning the hot water faucet on. "And let's face it. Dish washing is not your best chore either." Anabel had no comment, her blank eyes displaying the speechlessness over her daughter's mild defiance.

"Seeing as Mom agrees with you, then that makes all three of us," Leon said, approaching his sister. "I'd better help you out, Lila."

"What? You don't think I'm capable of doing it on my own?" Lila asked. Leon tapped his fingers, directing his eyes in different directions.

"Well…," he began, "you do have a wicked temper, and even over the most obscure and unimportant subjects at that note." Lila pouted, steadily placing a dish on the countertop before crossing her arms. "… You're not going to scare me away this time. Besides, with extra help, you'll be done sooner." Lila made no response, not until their mother got off her chair.

"Leon's got a point, dear," Anabel said. Her expression was thoughtful, reminiscing the process of growth ten years ago. "How about this suggestion? All three of us will work together on fixing up the dishes and the rest of the kitchen and I'll tell the story as we work together. How's that sound?"

Lila wiggled her lips and slightly creased her forehead, pondering. She looked at the medium-sized stack of dishes before glancing upon the willing expressions of her family. She could think of no other family but her own whose bond and relationship was tight, steadfast, and true. They only had good intentions in their minds, willing to help their own whenever possible. She understood why they volunteered themselves to help her out with even a simple chore like dish washing. Their love was abundant. She had absolutely no reason to say "no."

"While I still think that you guys are making a big deal out of this, I greatly appreciate your generosity," Lila said, her lavender eyes sparkling in the sunlight beaming through the window over the kitchen sink. "You guys are the best!"

* * *

"This place is depressing," Anabel commented, scanning the cloudy, monochromic forest. She, Ash, and Paul walked along the cold dirt and stone path for what seemed to be almost half an hour. At least, that was how they all felt once the Pokémon HQ Lab was no longer visible behind them. "I don't think we're in Orre anymore."

"Does this Dr. Kaminko even exist?" Ash asked, also frustrated by the long, tiring walk. "I really hope we're going in the right direction."

"Well I, for one, think that it's genius for the doctor to set up his base of operations in this dark, forsaken area," Paul said, roughly smirking as he eyed every suspicious corner of the forest. "No one but the brave of heart would dare cross this dangerous forest path without worrying about a Murkrow attack."

"But don't you own a Honchkrow?" Ash asked.

"Your point…?"

"Ahh… I lost it. Sorry about that."

"I'm not really a 'brave of heart' kind of person, but I think that it is better I suffer here than the whole world does under Reverse-Cipher," Anabel stated, cringing towards Ash's side.

"You mean _we'll_ suffer, right?" Ash corrected.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu agreed, resuming himself on Ash's shoulder to high alert on the gloomy surroundings.

"Oh, Ash," Anabel sighed, wrapping herself around his arm for tender protection, "I know you'll always be there to protect me. Right?"

"Of course," Ash promised. "It's what we both promised when we reunited over a year ago. I pretty much did not know much about what _romantic_ love is… until you made yourself an example. I honestly had no idea that you _liked_ me like that when I came for the Ability Symbol."

"My patience was awarded, that's for certain," Anabel smiled. "I wanted to be with no other man that did not represent everything about you, Ash. I was initially attracted to you, yes. It was a small crush that grew as I longed to see you after your journey in Sinnoh, hoping for another chance at love. No longer could I remain sedentary, like my occupation as the Battle Tower's Salon Maiden. I had to take action if I wanted to truly fulfill my dream of being with you, being with a wonderful Trainer like you." Ash grinned sheepishly, chuckling weakly from listening to her ever strong devotion.

"I guess I became wise and mature enough to finally hear your pleas," Ash said, lightly placing a kiss upon the soft warmth that was her hair. Anabel curled her entire head under his wiry arm in reciprocation. As they reveled in their mutual love, they heard an abrupt cough coming from Paul's direction.

"As much as I _so_ wanted to stuff your mouths and my ears with rocks, we've arrived at Kaminko's lab," Paul explained, indicating the small decrepit building with a large circular fountain in front. There was no water but dust and dirt, quaking slightly as thunder roared in the gray skies.

"Did we really bother you with our talking, Paul?" Ash asked innocently. Anabel and Pikachu giggled discretely.

"Hmph… if I wanted to listen to mushy romance, I would have gone to the nearest television and watched _King Bonsly and Queen Mime Jr._ nonstop until my eyes bleed," Paul remarked, briefly glaring at the couple before looking upon the home of Dr. Kaminko. "We might as well get this over with and move on."

"That's the spirit, Paul!" Ash exclaimed. "What's done is done. Let's go see this Dr. Kaminko then."

The trio cautiously approached the enigmatic, seemingly abandoned building, unaware that a pair of crazed eyes watched them territorially. The watcher remained hiding underneath the empty fountain, observing the intruders going around through the centerpiece's eyes without pause. Whoever they were, the watcher had one single purpose since he lived in this bleak, frightening area: protect Dr. Kaminko at whatever cost.

They neared the entrance to the building, somewhat running out of discomfort from the dark area. Something must be done, the crazed guardian thought. It was time for him and his device to step in, taking the initiative against the young strangers.

"Halt! Who goes there?" his squeaky voice echoed in the hollow statue. The trio stopped, closing the gap between them with their backs against each other.

"Funny. We can ask you the same thing, whoever you are," Paul threatened, arming himself with a Poké Ball burning in his darkness.

"Pikachu, get ready," Ash whispered to his loyal Mouse Pokémon. With a brisk nod, Pikachu leapt off his shoulder onto the ground in front of him and Anabel, static crackling from his vibrant red cheeks.

"If you won't tell Chobin who you are, then Chobin will demand for who you are," the voice answered back. A slight tremor occurred; the heroes stood their ground with their legs spread apart and feet firmly planted. A sort of mechanical whirring was heard emerging from the fountain he hid underneath in, he and his master's creation.

Ash and company watched as a familiar Pokémon surfaced from the separating fountain with a little man riding it in its chest cavity. The Pokémon looked real, yet it was a robot controlled by the bizarre man whose glasses were swirled like confusion. While the man inside did not pose much of a threat, the mechanical creature he rode surprised the young heroes into a defensive formation.

"Oh, man! Is that a Groudon?!" Ash asked, his voice sounding greatly astonished, yet impressed.

"What tipped you off, Ash? Was it the menacing, realistic snarl or its spot-on visage of a Groudon?" Paul remarked sarcastically. Ash frowned, worrying about whether to deal with his supposed friend's sharp tongue or the mechanical Groudon controlled by a somewhat psychotic assistant.

"This glorious device is what Chobin refers to as the Robo Groudon!" Chobin proclaimed; his last words accompanied by the roar of thunder. "The ultimate at catching and disposing of intruders and burglars, Robo Groudon will protect Dr. Kaminko from all who dare to bring harm to Chobin's master!"

Paul and Ash looked at him with deadpan expressions; while they were originally intimidated by the Robo Groudon, the man behind the machine was basically a loon. He even had the look of a delirious mad scientist, albeit a short one. His theatrics were amusing at first, but both Trainers thought that it must be hard for any intruder to take Chobin seriously.

"Do you want a shot at him or should I?" Paul asked Ash, his voice maintaining a regular level of cold austerity. His scowl frowned indifferently, deeming Chobin's antics as something of an inescapable nuisance.

"Actually, I want this fight," Anabel spoke up, unexpectedly walking in front of the two young men. She stood before them with her thin back facing them, her delicate form steady and sure.

"Anabel?"

"I feel that I've been slowing us all down lately because of our relationship, Ash," Anabel explained without facing either him or Paul. "I've been going to you for almost every problem, from serious to insignificant. I do love you, Ash. And Paul, I respect you as a strong Trainer in your own right and hope that you do change your personality for the better. All I've done so far is hiding in the background like a wallflower, waiting for either one of you to come to my assistance like at the incident in the HQ Lab. But now, it's my time to step out of the shadows and take the initiative, just like I did with you, Ash. It's my turn to take the lead!"

She meant every word. She wanted to speak out, to prove that she was the kind of independent woman she hoped to be. It was a personal matter for her nonetheless. Though her strength and talents rewarded her with a noble position in the Battle Frontier, she wanted more. A person, a young woman like her, had potential until the end of the growing period. She wanted to develop herself even more at a chance she boldly seized, as both a psychic Pokémon Trainer and a beautiful young woman.

"Hmph… Well what do you know? Little Anabel's growing up," Paul commented, lightly smirking with his arms crossed as a gesture of recognition. He looked at Ash with a raised brow. "It looks like you don't need to hold her hand anymore, Ash. From now on, she'll be expecting more snuggle time and body rubs from your end." Ash ignored him, stepping forward and softly grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm really proud of you…, and I'll always be proud of you, Anabel," Ash said, his auburn eyes burning with strength and passion. Giving her a strong pat on the shoulder, he motivated Anabel to move forward, to set Chobin straight once and for all.

"Ah! So it's ladies first, I see?" Chobin asked, moving a lever forward to activate Robo Groudon's stumpy legs. It stomped off the fountain with every push of a side lever controlling a leg. "Regardless! Chobin will show _no_ mercy to those who dare harm Dr. Kaminko! You burglars!"

_We're not here to harm him_, Anabel thought, sternly fuming to herself as the weird man engaged her into battle.

* * *

_Robo Groudon Chobin would like to battle!_

The Robo Groudon stomped forward, electrical sparks and boiling steam discharging from the robotic creature's neck. Chobin continued to show off the invention's capabilities by arming both sharp metal claws with two of his Poké Balls, gripped tightly. The arms began to rotate under his command, slowly turning forward and picking up speed.

"You and Chobin will fight a brief Double Battle, yes?" Chobin announced; the whirring of Robo Groudon's arms picked up on tempo and speed. "If Chobin wins, then you leave Dr. Kaminko alone."

"Very well," Anabel said, enlarging two Poké Balls in her hands. She waited for Chobin to make the first move.

"Sunflora! Gyarados! Arise!"

Both of Chobin's Pokémon appeared upon the stone cold ground, eager to fight off intruders. Sunflora hummed sweetly to itself, waving its arms and long stem-like neck in anticipation. Gyarados, on the other hand, screeched gruffly, uncomfortable in its current position. Rather than battling in the water, the Atrocious Pokémon laid its serpentine body with fins in a curl on the rough cobblestone, still capable of battling but to a certain extent.

"My turn! Espeon and Metagross, let's go!"

With a swift flick of her wrist, the Poké Balls were tossed high and spin wildly. They froze in midair for half a second, opening up and releasing the bright energy contained within. The whiteness took form of two of her well-trained Psychic Pokémon, the pair that often dealt with putting weak challengers in their place in the Battle Tower.

"Es-peon!"

"Meta!"

"We're rooting for you, Anabel!" Ash cheered.

"If you somehow lose against this weirdo, then you'll lose the respect I've actually bothered to gather of you," Paul said, his expressions and posture remaining as objective as ever to the battle.

"I think I can live with that if Reggie can," Anabel said in response to the latter, confidently smiling.

"Meh heh! Lady burglars first! Chobin insists like the gentleman Chobin is!" Chobin declared, putting the Robo Groudon on stand by.

_You will regret this_, Anabel thought; a self-assured expression formed on her delicate face. _Espeon, use Psybeam on Sunflora! Metagross, Zen Headbutt on Gyarados!_

"Es-peeeee!" Espeon shouted, loosing a multicolored beam from the shining gem on her forehead. The attack came in quickly, hitting Sunflora squarely in the face and throwing it off its feet with a meek cry.

_Aah! Her Pokémon moved their free will without her uttering a word_, Chobin thought; his eyes behind the spiraled lenses were more confused than his overall look. _Chobin is so confused!_

"Me-ta!" Metagross bellowed, lifting its four legs up and levitating its steel, bulky body. Its starting acceleration was rather poor and slow; its opponent glared as the Iron Leg Pokémon flew closer and faster.

"Gyarados, use Aqua Tail! Don't let the psycho burglar fool you!"

"Uh, I think you mean 'psychic,'" Anabel corrected.

"… Nah, I'm pretty sure Dr. Kaminko called it 'psychotic,' though Dr. Kaminko often described his only assistant with that word," Chobin said thoughtfully after the pause. His trance over admiring the derogatory terms his master described him with was broken from witnessing Gyarados easily toppled by Metagross' massive strength.

_Metagross, finish Gyarados with Meteor Mash!_

"Meeeee-t!" Metagross roared, charging the end of its frontal right claw with a powerful form of orange cosmic energy. Its claw was protruding with vibrant orange spikes, erupting from the end like the tail of a comet. Gyarados simply waited on the ground, cringing from the last attack.

"Gyarados! Wake up! Wake up! Use Hydro Pump! Hydro _Pump_!"

Chobin's frantic shouts and the snarls of the Robo Groudon had indeed waked the Atrocious Pokémon from its shock from Zen Headbutt. Its intimidating eyes opened widely, full of its natural anger and hate. Its hard jaw, after releasing a horrific roar, fired a powerful stream of pressurized water, blinding Metagross' sight and misleading its Meteor Mash into the ground beside it.

"Ha! Now use Crunch, Gyarados!"

_Espeon, stop it with Psychic!_

"Es-peon!" Espeon shouted, immediately binding and seizing Gyarados in her metal power. Her glowing eyes were bright and determined, much similar to her Trainer's. Gyarados attempted to flail its tail, but to no avail. The Psychic hold of the well-trained Sun Pokémon was inescapable.

"Two can play at that game!" Chobin exclaimed, slamming onto a button that caused more steam to erupt from the nostrils of the Robo Groudon. "Sunflora, use Razor Leaf!" Quickly anticipating the flurry of sharp leaves heading her way, Espeon released her control over Gyarados and stared at Sunflora. Nothing else mattered.

"Sun-flora!" Sunflora shouted, swiping both of its arms forwards and flung several leaves toward the prepared Espeon. What Sunflora and Chobin could not foresee was Metagross landing between the two Sun Pokémon, thereby intercepting and receiving the Razor Leaf to protect Espeon.

_Metagross, it's time for Iron Defense!_

"Me-ta!" Metagross growled. Its entire clear body vibrated and glowed with energy of silver luster, giving its appearance a brighter shine and hardened steel. The leaves that collided into the Iron Leg Pokémon lost their sharp edges and feebly fell to the ground, crushed by Metagross' legs afterwards. Sunflora looked worried, covering its gaping mouth with both leaves.

_Now use Hyper Beam, Metagross!_

"Meeeee-ta!" Metagross roared, unleashing the forceful blast from its mouth onto the area Sunflora was within. The radius of the blast sent Sunflora off its feet and into submission. No longer had it held a cheery, sunny grin on its face, but a defeated, bleak sigh of hopelessness.

"Sunflora may be down, but Gyarados is not!" Chobin exclaimed, having the Robo Groudon recall his fallen Sun Pokémon into the Poké Ball kept in its palm. "It's not over yet! _Not_ over yet! Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

The Atrocious Pokémon immediately responded with another powerful jet of water, aiming at the first target that made contact with it. The victim was Metagross as the Hydro Pump was powerful enough to force it off all four legs, overwhelming its mental senses from the pressurized attack.

"M-Me-e-t-t-ta," Metagross stuttered, its body soaked down to the tip of its claws. The Hydro Pump forced it off the ground, causing the Iron Leg Pokémon to levitate back down safely at a given chance. Upon becoming earthbound, though, the central body collapsed. Metagross' red eyes within its eyeholes were read as exhausted and dazed, unable to compute or fight for that matter.

"Metagross, return," Anabel said, recalling her defeated Pokémon and softly caressed its miniaturized Poké Ball. "Fantastic job out there." She placed the Poké Ball away, thinking about how to go about for the final round. _It wouldn't be fair for me to heal Espeon with Cresselia's powers, even if it does give me an advantage. No! It's only for fighting against those villains from Reverse-Cipher. This guy is just misled._

"You're both tied, down to one Pokémon each!" Ash announced. Pikachu was apprehensive, swallowing with difficulty at the current standing of the match.

"For an intruding burglar, Chobin commends you," Chobin said. "But this battle is over by Chobin's word, in the name of Dr. Kaminko and by the authority of Robo Groudon! Gyarados, use Crunch!"

_Espeon, wait there for a moment…_

"Esp-ee," Espeon mewled, crouching as Gyarados flew in with ravenous jaws. The frame of the Atrocious Pokémon's mouth widened larger than Espeon's entire body, ready to swallow her whole. Yet despite the horrible casualty about to befall her, Espeon remained in the same spot. She knew what _would_ happen… if she did not counter.

_Now! Use Zap Cannon!_

"Es-peeeee-on!" Espeon shouted, quickly forming the ethereal electrical sphere in front of her mouth. As Gyarados was within inches of her, Espeon jumped back and fired the Zap Cannon into Gyarados' jaw. It came in contact with the prominent corners that had its fangs; the discharge surged through its large body, making way to the very ends of its fins and whiskers. Gyarados screeched in pain. The attack had sealed the fate of the battle. Electricity continued to surge through its inanimate body after it ultimately toppled over in front of the Robo Groudon.

"And that's game," Anabel concluded, winking playfully.

"Espe-ee!" Espeon agreed.

Ash and Pikachu cheered grandly at the side; they were immensely proud of her progress as a strong-willed Trainer, not even having to resort to Cresselia's powers. Paul gave an unemotional thumb up and looked away.

"Chobin lost!" Chobin cried in the malfunctioning Robo Pokémon, unable to control its every move. It had registered the defeat of Gyarados; it failed to live up to its purpose of helping the user win once again. The device's movements were erratic; sparks came out of the crevices of Robo Groudon's neck. "Lost with Robo Groudon! Chobin lost!" Ash and the others slowly backed away into a safe distance from a supposedly predicted explosion.

* * *

"Chobin!" an angry voice shouted over the Robo Groudon's self-destruction. All eyes, including the dull pair belonging to the Robo Groudon, fell upon an old scientist who shared the same taste of bizarre eyewear with Chobin. He seemingly appeared from the old mansion with arms placed behind his back. "What have you done this time?!"

"Chobin can explain, master," Chobin stuttered, tumbling out of the control panel in a panic. Amongst the confusion, he rolled into the three young heroes, tripping them over while losing his glasses. "Ack! Chobin's glasses! Chobin cannot _see_ and _be seen_ without Chobin's glasses!" He crawled helplessly on the stone path, hearing Dr. Kaminko's sharp exhalation. He felt someone hand him his round glasses, who turned out to be the immaculate-bloused girl he was defeated by.

"This should make this better," Anabel said; her expression was amiable and kind. Chobin felt warmth swelling from within, produced in the form of red coloration in his cheeks.

"So then? You're _not_ a burglar?" Chobin asked.

"That's what we've been trying to tell all this time, Chobin," Ash said, approaching him and helping the little aide up to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"He won't be after I deal with him myself," Dr. Kaminko said, approaching the group with Paul by his side. "This young man says that he and the other two are the ones Professor Krane alerted us to."

"Why did Professor Krane want us to come to this place?" Ash asked, looking around at the foreboding surroundings.

"Simple," Dr. Kaminko said, beginning to face Chobin. "Chobin, I trust that you're competent enough to get 'the robots' out here?"

"Oh, yes!" Chobin exclaimed, hopping excitedly. "Chobin will fetch your latest and most greatest inventions!" The short aide quickly ran inside the run-down mansion, disappeared amongst the empty darkness and scientific clutter.

"The inventions?" Anabel repeated.

"I'm sure you kids heard the news of Cipher's ultimate rebirth, correct?" Dr. Kaminko asked, adjusting his large glasses and receiving three nods from the young trio. "Very well, then. I shall explain this briefly. Feel free to jump in." He cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses again. "You see, during this time of strife and madness a hero is prayed for by the desperate people of Orre. I remember that when Cipher first existed, the first hero was said to be a former Team Snagem member. A thief whose heart couldn't take the guilt he sowed, so he rebelled with a unique young lady who can differentiate Shadow Pokémon from regular Pokémon."

"And when Cipher came back a second time, Michael was the hero that saved the ultimate Shadow Lugia," Paul added. "A Cipher Admin escaped the authorities and apparently hid away all this time until seven months ago, he resurrected Cipher while using Team Rocket as a scapegoat."

"So for a third time, Cipher reemerged as 'Reverse-Cipher' and has a powerful Shadow Giratina, even stronger than Lugia," Ash surmised the facts together like a puzzle. "And because of what we are now capable of, _we're_ the new saviors of Orre."

"Third time's the charm, I suppose," Anabel said, shrugging. "The only difference is that we're not going to go 'Snagging' like Michael and the first hero did since Reverse-Cipher had not distributed any Shadow Pokémon to unsuspecting Trainers this time around. They're relying on the sole power of Giratina to do their dirty work."

"Now that you kids understand the background of Cipher, you must know that it was Professor Krane who commissioned me and two others to create something useful to help you," Dr. Kaminko explained, solemnly nodding. Ash, Anabel, and Paul exchanged looks of shock, surprised that Krane would place his faith in a somewhat eccentric man. But it was like they were taught in their early years to "not judge a book by its cover."

"What did Professor Krane want you to do, exactly?" Paul asked, crossing his arms, unconvinced.

"He and Michael, and now you three, know of my specialty in inventing useful gadgets for Pokémon," Dr. Kaminko explained. "The Robo Groudon piloted by Chobin was the first one I've created, and it led me to believe that it was a failure after losing to Michael on the first test."

"No offense, Doctor, but did you consider that it was Chobin behind the Robo Groudon's failure and not the machine itself?" Ash asked thoughtfully.

"I realized that after hearing of the Robo Kyogre's successful trip to Citadark Isle, known for being surrounded by rough and choppy waves," Dr. Kaminko said, lightly twirling his white beard. "An old friend of mine and his grandson worked on the Robo Kyogre after I left it incomplete, greatly upgrading my earlier modifications into the perfect seafaring vessel."

"That's so wonderful, Doctor," Anabel complemented.

"Indeed. When Krane approached me with all seriousness, I knew that there was no time fooling around. He wanted me to invent three more Robo Pokémon under his specific blueprints and orders. For that, I desperately required assistance."

"Did Chobin help you?" Ash asked. Kaminko hissed at him for placing those two particular words together. He hyperventilated at the mere mention of it. The doctor greatly abhorred the words "Chobin" and "help" used in the same sentence.

"… N-No!" Dr. Kaminko spat; his breathing relaxed. "No… Like I said earlier about the Robo Kyogre, an old friend and his grandson worked on in. They own a mechanic's shop down by Gateon Port if you didn't already know."

"Oh, yeah… Michael did mention about them and how he got his hovercycle to hold all of us in," Ash said, nodding.

"Makan, my friend, and Perr, his grandson; I requested their assistance for Professor Krane's project and promised them a share of my commission funds," Dr. Kaminko explained. "Krane's blueprints, their mechanical expertise, and my resources and leadership have actually quite proven to be a powerful force to be reckoned with."

"What do you mean?" Paul asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Dr. Kaminko said cryptically, chuckling to himself. There was a slight moment of silence as a frigid wind blew pass the company and into the gray sky. As they waited, they were interrupted with some sort of crackling coming from the fountain, accompanied by a familiar squeaky voice.

"Chobin here! Chobin here!" Chobin's voice exclaimed from the centerpiece. "Chobin's rounded up your three Robo Pokémon, Dr. Kaminko."

"Excellent!" Dr. Kaminko said in a hurrah, rubbing his hands expectantly. "Send them up." At the command, another quake rumbled around the fountain. Ash and the others were prepared for the fountain opening itself up again, but what caught them off guard was what Dr. Kaminko had warned them about. The doctor himself was proud, smirking widely with a great sense of satisfaction clouding his mind as his laughter grew in pitch.

Coming forth on the platform as the fountain gave way were three familiar, yet symbolic Pokémon made into robots. Each Robo Pokémon caught the individual attention of each Trainer. For Paul to allow his jaw to hang open in astonishment was the visage of a Darkrai, whose larger upper body and entire head was fitted like a seat; the hollowed white wisp served as the main control center. The pointed red appendages were decorative, giving it a sort of aggressive theme. The lower portion of the Robo Darkrai, representing the flowing tattered cloak with its arms included, had sorts of propulsion pipes underneath the cloak and the palms of its hands directed to the back.

Anabel admired both the grace and beauty of the Robo Pokémon modeled after the one she shared a spiritual, symbiotic relationship with. The Robo Cresselia's most highlighting were the celestial colors emanating from the titanium rings that protected both its control panel and the person riding in it.

The final Robo Pokémon invented by Kaminko left both Ash and Pikachu speechless. Though they were struck dumb, their shimmering eyes spoke on their behalf about the Robo Lucario. The Robo Lucario was on its fours. Each pair gripped a vibrant blue sphere, giving the impression of a Lucario using Aura Sphere from both its hands and feet. Its back to its tail served as the seat with the back of its head, including the aura sensors, as the control panel.

"Impressed, eh?" Dr. Kaminko asked boastfully, watching the three Trainers attempting to nod as their answer. "Professor Krane told me everything, including Reverse-Cipher. So use these gifts to the best of their abilities."

"How do we do that?" Ash asked, having snapped out of his trance.

"It's not like we have instant instruction manuals in our heads," Anabel said.

"And we're pretty much powerful Trainers already," Paul concluded, demonstrating with a Dark Void in the palm of his hand. "We're not like your insane assistant in requiring some invention to help us in battles against Reverse-Cipher."

"Ah, but they'll be your main transportation for the spacious land of Orre for you to explore," Dr. Kaminko explained, clasping his hands together. "Seeing as you've already bonded with your individual Robo Pokémon, it'll be up to you for trial and error. I can assure you that I've done my part; so did Makan and Perr."

"That's awesome, but what kind of fuel would they need in order to run?" Ash asked, hopping on the Robo Lucario.

"As I said, Krane explained everything thoroughly and I took it as seriously as I'm capable of," Dr. Kaminko said. "I want my inventions to help people and if these Robo Pokémon can help you in your adventure to take down Reverse-Cipher, then… that would make great marketing!"

"When Dr. Kaminko puts his mind to the task, there is nothing he can't do!" Chobin exclaimed, having reemerged from the front door. "Chobin was not even allowed during the time of creation, meaning that Dr. Kaminko is truly the best." Chobin's admiration for the old scientist made Ash and the others feel somewhat uncomfortable. Any more time spent in this foreboding sight would give Reverse-Cipher ample opportunity to strengthen Shadow Giratina even further while the heroes vomit from within their mouths.

"Let's go already," Paul demanded, taking his place in the Robo Darkrai.

"Wait! What do they run on again?" Ash asked, activating the Robo Lucario with the ignition key already in place.

"Krane ordered me to design them to 'feed off your unique energy' or something," Dr. Kaminko explained with some uncertainty, spinning his finger around, "at least, according to his findings about you three."

"Unique energy?" Ash repeated, grabbing the handlebars attached behind the Robo Lucario's aura sensors. "You mean, like aura?" He inadvertently exerted his aura more than necessary into his hands. The headlight eyes of the Robo Lucario flashed an eerie yellow, accompanied by its mechanical feral growl. The two orbs it held in its hands and feet lit up brightly, propelling itself forward with Ash and Pikachu with extreme speed.

"Ash!" Anabel exclaimed, extending a useless hand out as the Robo Lucario sped away onto the forest path.

"Somebody _stop_ this thing!" Ash's hectic voice echoed in the trail, accompanied by Pikachu's barely inaudible cries. The sight of the Robo Lucario was barely visible several feet away now.

"I could have sworn that he learned to control his aura by now," Paul said, glancing at Dr. Kaminko dully. The eccentric doctor awkwardly scratched the back of his head, chuckling weakly.

"Eh, I guess I should have mentioned that the speed of these Robo Pokémon depend on your output alone," Dr. Kaminko explained. "Anyway, these awesome creations of mine should take you across the entire Orre region in less than the day, which is more efficient than Michael's upgraded hovercycle. The Robo Pokémon are also all-terrain!"

"Hmph, good to know," Paul said, boarding the Robo Darkrai as Anabel did with the Robo Cresselia.

"Professor Krane's ideas are really spectacular," Anabel commented, examining the craftsmanship of her robotic companion. "And we must really thank you, Doctor, for taking the lead for this. I think it's great you took the initiative to help us."

"Yeah, thanks," Paul murmured, activating the Robo Darkrai posthaste to catch up with Ash.

"We better visit Professor Krane first and show him the fruits of Dr. Kaminko's labor," Anabel said, cruising the Robo Cresselia forward with the power of the being living within her body. It hovered majestically. Paul nodded quietly, also moving forward off the fountain with Darkrai's excess energy.

"Chobin wishes the best of luck for you heroes!" Chobin cheered, waving good-bye.

"Remember, you young generation, to never take things for granted, especially when dealing with those brutes of Reverse-Cipher," Dr. Kaminko said, pinching his beard. Anabel and Paul nodded good-bye, immediately departing to find Ash and help him recover from his mishap. The doctor took a deep breath, exhaling calmly. "Gee, I never knew I could uphold this serious face."

"Chobin was very convinced," Chobin said, shaking his head eagerly.

"These young people, Krane and those kids, are so serious," Dr. Kaminko sighed, walking back into his old mansion by little steps. "Come, Chobin."

"Yes, Dr. Kaminko!" Chobin exclaimed blithely, running alongside his beloved mentor.

_I'm confident that those kids can take down those Cipher goons with their talents, as long as it brings good marketing_, Dr. Kaminko thought, reentering his dim, crowded lair with the ever excited Chobin. _I just hope the tension doesn't tear them all apart first._

_

* * *

_**Kaminko's last few lines; perhaps possible foreshadowing maybe? Anyway, I think this is a pretty good chapter, but it's up to you to determine whether it was good or not. Also, please visit the new poll on my profile page, asking which character(s) you would want to appear as guests in later chapters. Although I'm confident on who's appearing and who's not, I'm just curious about what you guys prefer.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts concerning this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	9. Wanderer

**I think this will be one amusing chapter. Well, it still depends what you see gives you amusement. So I'll let this chapter speak on behalf of myself. All I can say left is that if you want to read this chapter a second time, put on some music. You'll understand why I requested for such a thing. I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last updated, though.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The light of optimistic hope was still on their side in the form of the searing desert sun hanging over their heads. There was no sign of a black cloud hovering in the blessed clear sky that would intercept the rays of sunlight that guided them to their next destination of the ancient grove community of Agate Village. This revered location was home to several professional yet retired Pokémon Trainers, as well another secret. Riding on the Robo Pokémon that glided noiselessly a foot and a half over the desert sands, the heroic young trio was just about to near their first temporary stop of Phenac City.

"This Robo Lucario makes an awesome ride now that I know how it works," Ash commented with a wide grin on his face, gripping the handlebars attached behind the Robo Lucario's aura sensors. He leaned back casually onto the tail seat with the quiet desert winds blowing through his and Pikachu's faces.

"Piii-kaaa!" Pikachu cheered, enjoying the comforting breeze flowing through, his tongue hanging out.

"Dr. Kaminko's inventions were greatly modified to take us to our destinations as quickly as possible in Orre while preserving the environment," Anabel mentioned. "These Robos consume only a very tiny portion of our unique and registered energy signals to maintain this kind of speed. One must wonder about technology these days…"

"Will you two stow it and hurry up?" Paul asked impatiently, inexplicably having gotten in front of the pack in the Robo Darkrai. He moved in closer to Ash; the latter sat up stiffly, erect with a glare. "We're burning daylight."

"But this is _desert_ daylight, Paul," Ash reasoned, glowering as he caught up with him. "The sun almost never ends in the desert."

"Then I guess you don't understand how desert _nights_ are the complete opposite of desert mornings," Paul said. "And on that note, there have been rumors about Shadow Giratina swooping in when you least expect it and spirit you away during your final darkest hour." His tone was ominous and his piercing eyes highlighted the grim shadows beneath his eyelids. Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks, glancing at Paul again with some sort of reprieve.

"But don't you have the essence of Darkrai stirring within your enigmatic soul, Paul?" Anabel asked. "So then, you could perform optimum efficient in the cold darkness you seem to be fond of so much." Paul scowled, looking ahead instead to either Ash or Anabel.

"Hmph, that's not the point," Paul retorted curtly. "While I might be at my greatest at night, I'm not going to have you two slow me down with complaints of lacking sleep." Anabel and Ash briefly glanced at him, worried yet irritated. A few seconds had passed and their advancements toward their next destination looked like it remained unchanged. Orre's desert was endless, boundless by the world.

"Fine," Ash sighed, exasperated by the absurdity of their argument. He adjusted his hat rather quickly, allowing the projected shade to protect his sensitive eyes. "As you said before, let's pick up the pace then. Professor Krane wanted us to rest off in Phenac City and quickly explore the place before we resume riding to Agate Village."

"No! No exploring," Paul interrupted, snarling his teeth. "As if you need any more distractions to stop you from destroying Reverse-Cipher for good; you just love wasting time until the last minute, don't you?"

"Sheesh! Such attitude!" Ash remarked offhandedly, abruptly shifting the weight of his torso in the direction opposite of Paul and crossed his arms. Pikachu stumbled off from the shoulder, momentarily caught in the trailing wind before the lightning crease of his tail firmly caught onto the tip of the Robo Lucario's tail.

"Chah…"

The head of the Robo Cresselia neared the jittery Mouse Pokémon acting out as the Robo Lucario's banner. Pikachu refused to make any sudden movements as long as his tail was still hanging on. He, however, received a most pleasant vibe of dreamy content and tender bliss, releasing him from his worries of flying away.

_You can hop on with me if it's more comfortable to you, Pikachu,_ Anabel's voice whispered subtly in his mind. Pikachu peered in Anabel's direction, her lavender eyes inviting the Mouse Pokémon to abandon his current dreadful state. He could either hand onto the blue steel tail of a mechanical Lucario, observing the developing argument of destinations between his Trainer and their surly rival, or leap into the sanctity of Anabel's inviting warmth. As if the Mouse Pokémon needed to think twice.

"Pika!"

* * *

"_Uh! Oh! Uh! Oh! I want you!_"

He sang and danced to his heart and soul's content. He was basically a dancer by choice of life style, a disco lover to be more specific. His large afro, toned red on his right half and white on the left, wobbled side to side with every shuffle of his flat platform shoes. His ragged, yet stylish scarf swayed in conjunction with his tanned chest and stomach exposed by his open purple dress shirt, almost as extremely slim as his long arms and legs. Accompanied by a pair of Ludicolo, he was the ultimate dance machine, yet his name was barely recognized due to his status trapped as a pathetic wanderer.

The only two people to recognize and appreciate this disco era incarnate, as well as calling him "boss," were currently filming his flamboyant moves along with the Ludicolo pair's jolly rain salsa.

"Uh, Master Miror B.? How long must we stay in this Oasis PokéSpot?" the man with a stack of dirty blond hair shaped like a mohawk, orange-dyed spikes asked hesitantly, holding the camera away from his eye. Miror B. did not listen; instead he continued to dance while humming to his bright disco theme.

"Yeah," the other henchman concurred. "That Duking fellow recently opened up even more PokéSpots around Orre for wild Pokémon to make their homes here in Orre. Who knows when some Trainer might show up and catch us?" Miror B. had apparently listened to his henchmen at this time, holding his hand up after releasing an annoyed sigh and gesturing to a Ludicolo to stop the music.

"Trudly! Folly!" Miror B. exclaimed, flapping his wrist rhythmically, beckoning his only two minions to approach cautiously. "What did I say about stopping the music? Hmm…?"

The lowly duo cowered. Trudley and Folly exchanged apprehensive looks; their awe and respect for the supposedly great Miror B. had planted their mindsets to a perpetual state of inferiority and submissive docility. In any case, these two grunts remained at Miror B.'s side for many years, even if Cipher had risen again. They swore to become great in the widespread, empty region of Orre with Miror B. as their leader; why would they give up now?

"Miror B., we haven't had much luck in our recent exploits as Team Miror B.," Folly said, scratching the back of his head while glimpsing at the clear placid water of the oasis. "Truth be told? We're pathetic."

"And as of now, even a rookie Trainer can take us down," Trudly mumbled, looking away into the desert emptiness and whistled an off-tune beat. Miror B., unimpressed, leaned back on his right leg and placed his hand on his hip for support. He shook his head disapprovingly; his afro swayed like a metronome.

"Not cool, boo-boo," Miror B. said. "That kind of attitude doesn't belong on the dance floor. See here! I'm not just boogieing for my health and leisure. We're _also_ happening to make a music video to promote our control over this backwash country. Plus, my funky Ludicolo could use the fresh air!"

Miror B. snapped his spindly fingers to his only two followers, moon-walking upon the oasis grass back to his Ludicolo. Folly and Trudly watched on, somewhat questioning themselves why they were still serving an aspiring leader who was more concerned with pampering his Ludicolo rather than making his name known throughout the Orre region.

The sound of motorized vehicles thrice echoed in the quiet humid surroundings of their Oasis PokéSpot. The two followers paid heed to the approaching trio, silently stumbling on their feet and wondering how to handle the unexpected arrival. From the distance, the approaching company looked like a trio of Pokémon. From exhaling breaths of relief to reexamining the unknown entourage, Trudly and Folly discovered three Trainers riding in the mechanized Pokémon. Feeling apprehensive about these newcomers, the duo went to Miror B. near the edge of the pure crystalline waters and stopped the music.

"Hey! Oh! My Ludicolo were just getting into their water routine!" Miror B. scolded, ostentatiously giving them the hand.

"Miror B., we've got company," Folly and Trudly explained simultaneously, their expressions a bit frightful. Miror B. scoffed, folding his thin arms across his bare chest. He shook his head disapprovingly, giving his afro a noticeable wobble.

"Fine! I'll deal with these party-crashers… myself."

* * *

"Look! Over there! It's an oasis!" Ash pointed out, glimpsing upon the oncoming sight for a better look.

"It must be one of those PokéSpots Professor Krane advised us about," Paul surmised. "This man named Duking supposedly opened them up to invite wild Pokémon for Trainers to battle and capture."

"Can we please stop by and rest there for a while?" Anabel pleaded kindly. "An oasis is the best place to refresh ourselves and we might even be able to see a few Pokémon. That would be a first for us here."

"Paul?" Ash asked, expecting his response to the matter. He had already agreed with Anabel for a momentary stop at the oasis. They were now waiting for a unanimous decision from the reserved Trainer.

"Well, all right," Paul muttered, slightly adjusting his direction towards the oasis rather than avoiding it altogether. The trio lessoned their output into the Robo Pokémon's systems, having them come to a gradual stop.

The entire Oasis PokéSpot was deserted. There was no living being within sight. However, the PokéSpot exuded a suspicious vibe; it felt as though someone was watching the three heroes in the shadows, waiting to pounce at the most vulnerable moment. Regardless, they remained on guard as something that looked normal had the possibility of being a trap created by Reverse-Cipher.

"Look over there, in the center of the water," Ash pointed out, directing Anabel and Paul to the strip of land that resembled a peninsula. In the center of it was a large silver plate that held sparse amounts of bait.

"It's no wonder there's not many Pokémon stopping by," Anabel concurred. "They are barely fed as it is."

"We agreed that we'd stay here to rest up, nothing more and nothing less," Paul stated, staring into the placid water reflecting the sun's rays back. He watched Ash's reflection searching around the seemingly deserted oasis. The corner of his eye caught three strange silhouettes hanging on top the palm trees as seen from their aquatic reflections. His muscles tensed and his expression scowled. _We're not alone._ Paul refused to make a sudden movement, but failed to warn Ash and Anabel of their movements.

"Ha! Rest is for the weary excuse of a dancer!" a jazzy voice exclaimed. Three strange figures fell from the palms trees and surrounded the heroes. Ash and Anabel quickly stepped away from them, immediately on their guard. Miror B. stepped forth, swing his hips to the beat of the activated boom box Folly held on his shoulder.

"Huh! Who's this clown?" Paul asked, irritated by the fact that he and the others were ambushed, and by a disco dancer no less.

"Quiet, emo child," Miror B. said, holding his hand before Paul's face. The dark latter smacked his thin arm away, disgusted by his pompous demeanor. "Now don't be hating, glum face."

"What do you want from us?" Ash asked defensively.

"We should be asking you kids that question," Folly said, lifting the camcorder onto his shoulder, recording the action for entertainment to watch later on.

"Besides, we were here first to record a music video by the oasis," Trudly added.

"Well, we won't get in your recording shots if that's what you're thinking," Anabel pleaded, but was denied by Miror B.'s stopping hand.

"Uh-uh! Only authorized personnel are allowed backstage!" Miror B. declared. "Find another PokéSpot to chill out in, kiddos."

"What other PokéSpot?" Ash asked, fuming under his warm breath. "There isn't any other around here."

"Not… my… concern!" Miror B. exclaimed in conjunction to his dance moves. "Now are you going to cry about it, little child?" Anabel and Paul glanced upon Ash, whose entire face was shaded underneath the rim of his hat. Pikachu cautiously looked under the cap, only to discover his best friend's expression was blank, yet emanating a fierce power. Ash remained quiet as Miror B. and his minions continued to jive to their disco beats and jeer the young Aura Guardian.

"Ash, are you okay?" Anabel asked, reaching to his shoulder with a shaky hand. Pikachu placed his tail in the way of her hand, shaking his head. She backed off, worried.

"You know, Anabel," Paul began with a solemn breath, keeping a close eye on Ash, "I've hung out with this childish Trainer for so long now. I can actually sense what he is feeling right now and for the majority of time, I disregarded his dedication on bonding with Pokémon."

"You thought that being like Reggie and your own father would make _you_ weak," Anabel said sympathetically. "You knew that your father was easily misled under false promises by the brutal Team Galactic. And I think that I shouldn't go into detail between Reggie and Brandon."

"Yeah, that's right," Paul said, still looking at Ash. "But this _fool_ didn't give up. He even wound up showing me up at both the Sinnoh League Conference and his own Battle Frontier Facility. His spirit is strong, for sure."

"Well, his spirit is one thing," Anabel concluded. "It's his _aura_ that's keeping me fascinated." A rough wind blew past them, rippling from the main source. Their easygoing friend was blazed in mystical, spiritual power, silently burning in front of their antagonists' sights. Anabel and Paul stepped back as Miror B. and his team approached. What the latter did not know nor comprehend may end them.

"Well, kid?" Folly asked. "Are you and your little friends going to leave yet?"

"Not without…," Ash began, taking in a deep breath, "a _battle_!" The sharpness of his deepening voice threw them off balance, causing them to land on their backs upon the burning desert sands. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, challenging them to a battle as well.

"Chu!" Pikachu growled cutely, storing electricity in his cheeks.

"A battle-off! How exciting!" Miror B. exclaimed, twirling at the thought. Folly and Trudly exchanged bored looks, annoyed by both their master's acceptance to battle this unknown Trainer and excessive flamboyant displays. "I admire your enthusiasm, kid. There's no way I can lose to another brat. It's on now!"

"Hmph, I'd actually want to see how this battle goes out," Paul said, smirking. "Afro man can talk the talk. Let's see him battle the battle."

"Go for it, Ash!" Anabel cheered.

"So it's agreed then," Miror B. said, snapping his fingers rhythmically as a countdown. "Winner gets to stay in this oasis. Loser gets booted out. Let's shake on it as gentlemen." He offered his hand first, to which Ash placed his integrity upon agreeing to his terms. His stable expression did not change, even when facing a delusional disco lunatic that dreams of false grandeur. "Now! Let the music play!"

* * *

_Wanderer Miror B. would like to battle!_

The battle music, his favorite theme, was activated. It gave the impression that the battle was leaning more to a dance-off rather than a simple Pokémon Double Battle.

Miror B. performed a well-executed back flip, his afro serving as the center axis of rotation. Ash and the others watched in startled amazement as he hopped back again, kicking his long, thin legs to the sides. Upon landing back on his feet, he shuffled his purple platform shoes backwards until the intro of his tune came to its last beat. It was a distinctive clap, to which he snapped his fingers and made a disco pose.

_And this is my opponent?_ Ash thought, feeling embarrassed about having a standoff with an eccentric dancer.

"Ludicolo! Shiftry! The dance floor is all yours!"

Miror B. slid one foot back with gusto and twirled back in the opposite direction to throw the Poké Balls. He hummed along to his battle theme as his two Grass-type Pokémon appeared in a quick flash of white energy.

"Lu-di! Colo!" Ludicolo sang, hopping along to the rhythm of the music. Ash was fortunately aware that lively music energized Ludicolo's cells, gritting his teeth at the advantage his opponent had.

Shiftry, on the other hand, remained distant and still, glaring menacingly at the young Aura Guardian.

"Looks like it's my turn now," Ash said, taking an enlarged Poké Ball from his belt. Pikachu was already on the battlefield, carefully eyeing the Carefree Pokémon. "I'm not going to take any chances with you, so. Charizard, I choose you!"

A swift flick of his wrist, Charizard emerged in a flash from his Poké Ball with a zealous flame burning from his tail and within his eyes. With a hefty roar, the Flame Pokémon flapped his wings to slow his descent. Ludicolo and Shiftry cringed from the strong winds; Pikachu enjoyed the breeze. As Charizard landed, he gazed at the direction of Shiftry, whose piercing eyes glared in jealously over his strength. Stretching his claws and cracking his knuckles, Charizard was eager to demonstrate his time from Iron Island.

"Boy, you don't play around, don't ya?" Miror B. asked, twirling his white sideburn. Ash did not answer. "In that case, age before beauty."

"The battle's starting," Anabel said as though she held her breath. Next to her, Paul silently analyzed the four Pokémon on the field, intently thinking about every attack possibility for each side.

"He's at an advantage," Paul said levelly. Anabel looked at him, confused. She turned her head back and forth, wondering who he meant.

"Ludicolo, use Rain Dance! Shiftry, use Razor Wind!"

"Lu-diiiii!" Ludicolo shouted, hopping on each foot while joyfully releasing a resonating blue sphere into the sky. The blazing Orre sun was soon consumed by black rain clouds, accompanied by the dramatic effects of roaring thunder to simulate a real storm. Charizard slightly cringed from the rain, only to blow off several rain droplets and his weakness to water with a flap of his wings.

"Guys! Watch out for Shiftry!" Ash warned. Pikachu and Charizard hopped close to each other, keeping a critical eye out.

"Shif-try!" Shiftry growled, discovered gliding several feet over the ground. It sent a forewarning gust, accompanied by several blades of wind slicing through the air. Almost as though it was second nature, Pikachu leapt off the ground and onto Charizard's back. The powerful duo took off, away from Shiftry's range.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower on Shiftry!"

A ferocious roar was simply needed to alert all to the power of his Fire attack. Charizard spewed a steam of orange, crimson flames with accurate precision and aim, scorching the stomach region of the Wicked Pokémon. Shiftry fell back in the air, only to be rescued in the hands of its jolly teammate.

"Ludi!" Ludicolo exclaimed triumphantly over its catch. Shiftry returned to the ground, smirking as though the Flamethrower barely harmed it.

"Now _that's_ teamwork, baby!" Miror B. remarked, pointing at his rising stars.

_Hmm, since Charizard's Flamethrower was weakened by Rain Dance, I'll have to use other attacks_, Ash thought. "Charizard, dive down towards Shiftry and use Steel Wing! Pikachu, use Iron Tail on Ludicolo!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, crawling on top of his partner's head while aiming his body to the chosen enemy. Both Pokémon stored energy within their respective appendages, glowing as white as steel.

"Now!"

"Chuuuuu-Pika!" Pikachu shouted, slamming his hardened tail on the rim of Ludicolo's sombrero as well as scratching it down its face. Finishing the Iron Tail attack, Pikachu reflexively caught the sombrero rim with his teeth as Ludicolo stumbled back. The Mouse Pokémon directed the pupils of his eyes with some difficulty to see Charizard's progress with Shiftry.

Pikachu watched to the best of his ability that Charizard relentlessly assaulted the Wicked Pokémon with sharp jabs of his powerful draconic wings. But after memorizing the inside pattern of Charizard's strikes, Shiftry began swinging its hands around in accordance to its lasting memory, repelling off Charizard's wings for less damage.

"Charizard, grab Shiftry for a Seismic Toss!"

"Nah-uh! No you don't, brat!" Miror B. retorted with a denying wave of his finger. "Ludicolo, shake off that rat and use Hydro Pump on that flying lizard!"

"Ludi!" Ludicolo bellowed back in recognition to the command. "Colo! Colo! Colo! Colo! Colo!" The Carefree Pokémon went into a twirl, balancing entirely on one foot. Its moves were in tune to the beat of Miror B.'s recorded battle theme.

"Kah-ah-ah!" Pikachu cried in distress, desperately holding onto Ludicolo's sombrero.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu yelled back, struggling against the induced dizziness from Ludicolo's frenzied spin. "Pika—…!"

"Throw Pikachu off now, Ludicolo!"

"Luuuuu-di!" Ludicolo sang, coming to an abrupt stop. The forced change of centripetal acceleration flung Pikachu off. The Mouse Pokémon loosed his Electric attack in midair amidst the falling rain; discharged sparks flew all around uncontrollably, connected to every raindrop available. The Electric attack, as wide as it was, failed to hit a single target.

"Shiftry!" Shiftry yelped, having been caught in Charizard's inescapable grasp; the onset of Seismic Toss was inevitable, or so it was.

"Ludicolo, aim for the tail!"

Miror B.'s outrageous command attracted the unwanted gasps of shock from all living beings around the raining oasis. Charizard froze in midair from overhearing the command, as did his captor. Anabel, Folly, and even Paul were disgusted by his underhanded tactic. Ludicolo glanced at its Trainer, hesitant and unsure.

"Miror B., that's hitting below the belt! Just what do you think you are?!" Ash shouted.

"I'm a wanderer who once nearly ruled the world with dance and Shadow Pokémon," Miror B. stated without a hint of remorse for his command. "And since I'm classified as a 'criminal' in you folk's eyes, then I shouldn't have a problem doing this. Ludicolo, fire your Hydro Pump at Charizard's tail on the double!"

Without another word, Ludicolo grudgingly sprayed a forceful jet of water at Charizard; the latter regained his senses and immediately resumed flying high into the clearing sky. His advances were unfortunately cut as the Hydro Pump nearly doused the flame on his tail. The Flame Pokémon experienced a sudden drop of energy with a growl of shrill pain, falling back down to earth with Shiftry struggling to get out from Charizard's hold. Gravity had pulled both Pokémon down and had their bodies create a deep crater with Shiftry trapped underneath Charizard.

"Charizard! Are you okay?" Ash called out. The sandy dust cleared away rather quickly, revealing the Flame Pokémon struggling on his arms and knees. Charizard fortunately still had some energy in him.

"That was a close call for Charizard," Paul stated, looking up at the sky. Its bright rays had completely erased the clouds summoned from the earlier Rain Dance.

"I see it now," Anabel concurred, also looking up and narrowing her eyes from the strong sunlight. "With Rain Dance gone, its properties of boosting Water-type attacks withdrew as well. Charizard was spared from a harsh attack, yet his tail suffered the blunt of the force." As she and Paul resumed watching the battle, Folly and Trudly snuck away from the battlefield and hid behind the oasis' palm trees.

"Folly, I swear that Miror B.'s starting to become desperate enough to cheat," Trudly said.

"Maybe so, but that young opponent of his must be a really tough one if his Pokémon manage to survive his tactics," Folly added. "I don't think it's safe for either one of us to hang _that_ close to the field."

"Yeah, man. Seriously! I don't know what those kids have been through, but it's obvious that we'll never be able to catch up to them."

* * *

"You'll pay for that one, Miror B.," Ash threatened through angrily gritted teeth. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle on Ludicolo!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, matching his Trainer's fury all at once. The Mouse Pokémon dashed forward, his small body gleaming in golden electricity. "PikaPikaPikaPikaPika…!" Ludicolo was frozen in fear, mostly likely from remorse of attacking Charizard in a way it should not have. "Pika!"

"No! Pikachu!" Ash yelled. He had not called out in time. His ability to see the aura of all living beings alerted him to the sneak attack of Miror B.'s _other_ Pokémon. He had only discovered a second later that Shiftry escaped and sent a Razor Wind attack towards Pikachu's way. The blade repelled the charged Mouse Pokémon away, sparing Ludicolo from a powerful hit.

"Keep your eyes on all your opponents, child," Miror B. advised in a taunt.

Ash looked away, eyeing on his recovering Charizard. The Flame Pokémon was still in the same spot where he had crash landed, attempting to muster up his fiery strength. Out of breath and weakened from the Water attack on his tail, Charizard struggled to at least keep his eyes open. Ash was worried. The timing was impeccable, however. His power boost came in the form of Blaze; the flame on his tail rose high, burning with bright power and confidence. Everyone gasped at the revelation; the tables had turned.

"Maybe next time that when you take one of my Pokémon down, make sure that they stay down!" Ash exclaimed. "Too bad there's no next time for _you_, Miror B."

"Not… cool… boo-boo," Miror B. mumbled incoherently, intimidated by the sudden change of the battle's tide.

"Charizard, use Blast Burn!"

A roar of omnipotence echoed from Charizard's jaws. The colorful flames, hued in violet, scarlet, and white, of Blast Burn weaved together into a beautiful, massive fireball. Everyone stared in awe of the power that flared within Charizard's mouth. The various flames spun around its sphere shape like electrons in the orbits around an atomic nucleus. With allotted time of Pikachu fleeing away from Shiftry and Ludicolo, Charizard snapped his head forward and released the Fire attack.

The opponents cowered, unable to escape the devastation that inevitably waited for them. Miror B. swore and shouted; all of his complaints were muffled by the crackling of the fireball. Ludicolo and Shiftry held onto each other, trying to protect their own selves within each other. The Blast Burn came in quickly and exploded upon contact. The burning radius razed everything caught in range. The resulting explosion summoned winds that blew in all directions around the Blast Burn circumference. Everyone held onto the ground tightly with their feet planted firmly into the ground.

"Pikaaaaa!" Pikachu screamed. His lighter mass allowed him to be blown away. To the relief of the Mouse Pokémon, Charizard caught him in his arms. "Pi-ka, Pikachu." Charizard snorted humbly in reply to his gratitude.

The Blast Burn had ended. Everything caught by the attack was burnt to a crispy black burn. Ludicolo and Shiftry were lying on the ground with each other's arms on the other. They were nearly reduced to ashes. It was clear that the Double Battle was over.

* * *

"Hmph, I guess that's that," Paul concluded. He noticed Miror B.'s expression was still frozen in astonishment, perhaps a form of shellshock from the battle with Ash. _I guess that dancing fool now knows what real power is._

"My… music… box…," Miror B. managed to say in a whimper. Paul's eyes widened and his mouth gaped. He was apparently wrong about his justification of Miror B.'s trance.

_The fool lost a battle he never a chance in and he's more worried over his music?!_ Paul thought harshly. He discovered that the device that played Miror B.'s battle theme was caught in Blast Burn's destructive path, rendering the fried device broken beyond repair. Nothing but static escaped its speakers.

"Miror B.!" Folly yelled, running over to him with Trudly. He lifted his leader off the ground by his long legs while Trudly carried his afro and head.

"Come on! Let's split already!" Trudly suggested. The trio ran off rather quickly and in a hurry. Ash and Paul saw them out, still hearing Miror B.'s wails over his broken music box.

"Well that takes care of them," Ash said, dusting his hands off. "Paul, I think we all deserve this small rest here in a place like this." Paul could not argue with the logic. After everything they've been through so far, from the attack in Professor Krane's lab to Chobin's ambush, he supposed that they all needed the rest, even if it was temporary.

"Fine then," Paul said in resignation, holding up an open hand. "Five minutes. Then we head back on the trail to Phenac City."

"Thank you, boys!" Anabel's voice exclaimed. Ash and Paul found her on the grass-edged borders of the lake, barefoot. Anticipating about what she was about to do, Paul ran forward and violently shook his head.

"Not before I take a drink from that clean lake," Paul said disapprovingly. An expression of confusion and shock appeared on her face.

"What? My feet are clean! They're just tired and are need of calming water to relax in."

"No way. It's just plain unsanitary. Hmph! Ash! Get over here and tell your girl to _not_ put her feet into the water until I have a drink."

"He's not going to take your side, you know. Ash _wants_ me to be happy. Even if that means putting my feet in before anyone realizes that the oasis lake was up for grabs. So really, you should have paid more attention."

"Don't… you… dare…"

"Your 'tough guy' act still hasn't worked on me, Paul. See my toe dangling over the surface? So close!"

"Some five-minute break this turned out to be," Ash sighed, watching the miniature war between Anabel and Paul over rights to the water continuing to unfold. Pikachu took a nap on Charizard's head, who decided to sleep on the ground next to Ash. The young Aura Guardian briefly glanced at his napping Pokémon, whose facial expressions suddenly changed from horrified to relief simultaneously. Since they were asleep and perhaps dreaming as well, Ash could only narrow the possibilities down to the escalation of the oasis argument. _Oh, no… Not Cresselia and Darkrai too!_

* * *

**You can now finally call me a high school graduate. Class of 2009! Ah ha ha! Anyway, my sincere apologies for the monthly wait. But hey, an update is still an update. I'm just glad that I finally have some time on my hands. Only problem is that now I have summer obligations to tend to now, like summer jobs and packing for college. Hmph!**

**Well, I've seen the results of my current poll and I must say. Angie's quite a popular little lady despite appearing for five episodes. The poll was to allow me to see what your opinions on the characters that I've held in regard. I'll include them all. Some may come now, like Miror B. Others may come in later in the story. And the rest…, much, much later.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	10. Motivation

**This will be a short chapter concerning the others in the story, seeing as there should be another break from the main story. By others, I mean a little bit of quality time between Drew and Zoey. I've already established them as a couple in the prequel and I should continue their relationship, even if it is somewhat of a love-hate relationship. I must say, though, that this chapter maybe mostly "fluff," and I guess kind of a one-shot. **

**I also wish to give the proper name of the ShuuNozo pairing as "MotivationShipping." Why? I believe it's because when they both came to mind initially, I know that they helped May and Dawn respectively in becoming successful Coordinators through their own methods. Drew was arrogant and critical, prodding May to improve herself as a Coordinator since he saw his earlier self in her. Zoey acted as the "best female friend" role for Dawn instead of the usual arrogant rival behavior. It made sense to me to give the pairing the name and I haven't seen any official declaration of the fan pairing from Bulbapedia yet. "LeafRedShipping" would just be another name to the pairing. But I digress.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

Things have started to become easier to handle.

The Kanto region was nearing its completion. The eradication of the ShadowPokérus was more than halfway finished for their part. Gary, Brock, Zoey, and Drew were very active for the past seven months. They stopped the artificial virus in its tracks before it got to spread to far places, which was a smart tactic for sure. With only the water routes south of Kanto, Seafoam Islands, and Cinnabar Island left to cover, the loyal group of friends was sure to finish within the last three months of their year limit.

Of course, now that things have calmed for the better, the four of them deserved some relaxation time for themselves. They all unanimously agreed on the motion so they temporarily split off for their own needs. Brock went back to Fuchsia City to pick up supplies. Gary was off training his Pokémon. Finally, Drew and Zoey were left to themselves at the beach south of Fuchsia. The beaches were still populated. Just because there was a threat to mankind on the loose didn't mean that they should spend the supposed last months of their lives living in fear.

After all, the greatest Pokémon trainer of his time was out there with two of his strongest friends to handle the problem. The term, friend, in this case would refer to his empathetic, telepathic lover and serious, callous rival.

Regardless of everything else, Drew and Zoey decided to spend their free time together to get to know each other more. Their relationship would possibly go from a comical love-hate connection to a more serious one like Ash and Anabel's relationship. Such a puzzling thought remained in their minds as they dressed appropriately for the beach for their day off.

* * *

Waiting outside the women's dressing room in purple trunks, Drew laid on the wall casually. He attracted several female admirers that emerged from the room to keep himself occupied, whether it would be listening to them go on and on about his looks and Coordinator skills or trying to kiss him. Of course, the latter choice would probably lead to unnecessary and expensive plastic surgery.

_This is not a Contest she's dressing up for_, Drew thought, growing more impatient by the minute and irritated by the fan girls. _How hard can it be to put on a bikini?_

At last, she came out of the small dressing hut. Her soft barefoot steps were heard echoing the grains of crushed sand upon quietly exiting. Drew looked up in her direction with the sun's mild rays illuminating his pale face and his widen emerald eyes. The fan girls had dispersed, seeing as the charming Coordinator no longer had any interest in them. There by the doorway entered his fair Zoey, clad in only a two-piece maroon bikini. Her sunglasses only added extra appeal, to which Drew didn't mind at all.

"Hey there, handsome," Zoey said nonchalantly, giving him a quick pose of her thin, alluring body. "Still waiting for me, I see?"

"You sure know what to give a guy," Drew chuckled with a satisfied grin. "What say you we get started?" Zoey briefly giggled, hooking her arm with Drew's.

"I'd say, 'What took you so long to ask?'"

"Oh, touché," Drew replied with enunciation of his last word.

The two Coordinators began their long, scenic walk down to the warm and sandy beach. The beach was not populated with many people and Pokémon, but it was not considered to be deserted either. The small group of beachgoers was playing in the sand, surfing, enjoying a game of volleyball, or just simply sunbathing. With both of them being rather laidback and somewhat mature for their age, Zoey and Drew agreed on relaxing on a large towel in the bright sun. In these late days, the sun was considered a blessing and the last symbol of hope before eventual darkness would consume the sky.

The Coordinators' stylish Pokémon also had the chance to play around by the push and pull of the ocean's coastal waves. Drew's Butterfree and Zoey's Mismagius hovered together over the sun's reflection on the ocean in a somewhat hypnotic dance. Flygon and Altaria flew across the beach in a race at a high altitude as to not whip up sandstorms. Drew's Houndoom was stuffing its face with fresh barbeque food. Zoey's Lumineon swam underwater and played with several kids and their Pokémon as well. Enjoying the ocean above the surface with the salty sea winds touching their faces lightly were Roserade and Gastrodon, acting as the captain and sailboat respectively. This finally left Absol and Glameow sleeping in the shade of the umbrella near their human partners.

"Wow! It's been a while since I last saw my Pokémon so happy and relaxed," Zoey commented, lying upon Drew's shoulder. They were sitting up with Drew's arm around her firm body, watching their Pokémon spend their free time in creative and basic activities.

"I guess carrying less than six Pokémon did help out, in your case at least, Zoey," Drew said, looking up to see his Flygon and her Altaria taking another aerial lap around. "Altaria needed your guidance and warmth after everything it's been through."

"It was the youngest out of its flock and was attacked by Shadow Ice Pokémon in those frigid mountains," Zoey added, seeing the carefree smile formed on Altaria's beak. The Humming Pokémon enjoyed its leisurely flight in the skies, whether it would be enjoying the breeze against its cloud-like wings or matching competitive velocities with Flygon. "Its separation from the other Altaria was really traumatizing to it. I couldn't just leave it there in the mountains."

"I was freezing my posterior out there!"

"Well, you should have dressed warmer, Drew. Brock did warn us that he and Misty were separated from Ash during their earliest journey through Kanto."

"So a wicked blizzard separated them because of Ash's immaturity. Even I can see a maturity milestone in that kid's life now. Besides, staying in those mountains _did_ have its benefits."

"Oh, Drew," Zoey sighed amiably. "If you're referring to the discovered hot springs, then I'm glad that the exploration wasn't a total loss for you."

"No… it wasn't."

"Drew?"

"Discovering the hot springs was one thing…," Drew began, a warm grin creeping on his face, "but being able to share them with you made suffering the cold climate _all_ worth it."

He least expected a sentimental gratitude from his down-to-earth girlfriend, but what Drew did not expect was Zoey seizing his green-haired head into her hands and planting a wet, passionate kiss on his lips. It lasted for a good ten seconds, during which Drew released his initial confusion and enjoyed the smooch. Once it had ended, both Coordinators where left gasping for breath.

"That… was the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Drew," Zoey said, her voice breaking and her ruby eyes sparkling like pure gems.

"Uh, no problem…?"

"I'm sorry if I sound really girly, but you've finally learned how to treat a woman correctly. I'm so proud of you!"

"I see," Drew sighed, closing his eyes contemplatively. "I have to say, Zoey, that before we _met_, I thought you were an uptight prick for always having to look after Dawn."

"And I originally thought you were an obnoxious, womanizing git with bad lines," Zoey replied in the same tone.

"Okay, let's not get carried away," Drew said with a hint of embarrassment in his tone. "You _did_ help become a better person since we met, you know. Dawn was lucky to have you as a friend and rival in Contests."

"Well, allowing people to see beyond their own limitations has been challenging for me," Zoey concurred. "Besides that, you've gotten to me through your own twisted ways."

"Eh?"

"I guess, in a way, changed as well thanks to you," Zoey began, spinning her fingers together. "I've became more in touch with my sensitive side, considering that I'm a bit tomboyish."

"A _bit_ tomboyish?" Drew repeated with a raised eyebrow. Zoey gave him a look; she did not need the extra and slightly condescending confirmation from him.

"Hey, I'm wearing a _two-piece_ just for you, Drew," Zoey reasoned, regaining control over the conversation. "I believe that's just one of the things that resulted from meeting you. But honestly, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for _him_." Drew got the idea and snickered quietly to himself.

"Really, how many lives has _he_ touched upon and made for the better?" Drew queried lightheartedly. "After all, _he_ got you to see that a person _is_ capable of both Gym and Contest battles. Want living proof? Just find that musical bard I first battled upon returning to Kanto after the Johto Grand Festival. I think he was also convinced by _him_."

"Oh, yeah… I wonder how Nando is these days. I hope he's safe, wherever he is now."

"Gave him hard time too?"

"Mmm-hmm," Zoey nodded in a downcast way. She felt something furry brush past her arm on the side opposite from Drew. She turned her head and found Glameow awake and staring at her. "What is it?"

"Nya-ru…," Glameow purred. Its eyes narrowed slyly and its wide grin giving off a snicker.

… _Uh, oh boy_, Zoey thought, taken back by Glameow's look. Its hypnotic yellow eyes taunted her of her true feelings for the Coordinator next to her. "… Scat."

"Pardon?" Drew asked, having heard an inaudible sound from Zoey.

"Oh, it's nothing, Drew," Zoey said, waving her hands in denial next to an innocent-looking Glameow. Drew shrugged it off and lied on his back to sunbathe. Zoey looked back at Glameow with a slightly irritated look; the latter had a devious smirk. "I'll deal with you later, Glameow."

"So just to repeat, I guess we both became better when we started hanging out more often," Drew surmised, his eyes closed from the sunlight. "You showed me that if I wanted to be with you, I really had to act like a proper gentleman to other ladies."

"And your advances actually made me soften up a bit," Zoey added, lying down next to him. She placed her arm across his bare chest and relaxed. "You know, I was originally into Ash before I discovered that he and Anabel hooked up back at the Battle Tower long time ago. What made you decide to come after me despite getting off at a rocky start?"

"Eh, you were on the rebound with May and Dawn after getting your butts kicked by Anabel in that Pokémon brawl of yours," Drew shrugged indifferently. Zoey sat up, incredulous at his answer. "I'm kidding! Sheesh…"

"Then tell me the real answer, _dear_," Zoey threatened mildly.

"Well, you were different than the other women I've met, Zoey," Drew explained, looking into her eyes with sincerity. "I could immediately tell that you've had a strong, serious passion about being a Top Coordinator." Zoey cocked her head to the side with a bit of disbelief. "Your attitude was definitely different from May's. Instead of struggling to stay alive like a daffodil, you had the sharpness and beauty of a rose. But in reality, I never thought I would actually end up in a relationship with you. Not even in my dreams that I considered the possibility. But now, we're together and that's that."

"… And you're still attracted to me even though I've soften up?" Zoey asked.

"Hey, you're still who you are as far as anyone's concerned. I've only seen you act girly with me and your closest girl friends. Plus, I'm held responsible for your slight personality change."

"I've had some adjustments," Zoey said, returning to her previous position next to Drew. She snuggled up to him, the warmth enhanced by the sun. "Drew?"

"Yes, Zoey?"

"Thanks for motivating me to be the best. May was so lucky to have you as a rival. And… I love you."

"Yeah, same here; I love you too," Drew's soft voice chuckled.

The crooning tones of his chuckle soothed Zoey, erasing her anxieties and worries of their fairly strong relationship. While they have achieved a higher level of love, devotion, and trust, their bond was still not a match for another couple. Ash and Anabel may have had a head start in learning how to read each other's hearts, but Drew and Zoey were much more thorough in their approaches. Much like Contests, neither one gave up on the miniscule possibility that they would wind up together beyond their wildest dreams. They were their own witnesses to their bright, blossoming love. However, two more witnesses looked on from the distance of the road above the beach, amused and satisfied.

"You know, taking a break today from saving wild Pokémon was totally worth it," Gary said, drinking the remaining soda in the can.

"It was about time that Drew and Zoey shared a real romantic moment," Brock added with Happiny sleeping in his arms. "Now would be a good time to let them go off on their own, Gary. That is unless you still want them to travel with us."

"Nah! I don't think it'll be worth trying to lug those love birds around for a few days," Gary said, turning his back to the beach. "We've already got one couple with an icy straight man to save us all. We need to ensure Kanto's safety before anything else, even if Zoey and Drew won't cooperate any more. As the wiser and older of the group, we must preserve the younger generation."

"Hmm… You know, Dawn _did_ have a point about you the last time I talked to her."

"Hmm?"

"You definitely resemble your grandfather more now than you were in Sinnoh."

"Eh… okay. So I am."

* * *

"Here's your Charizard back, Ash," the Nurse Joy of Phenac City said, handing the young Aura Guardian back the Poké Ball. "Here's a bit of advice before you leave."

"What's that, Nurse Joy?" Ash queried.

"I wouldn't use Charizard immediately if I were you. The Water attack on his tail's flame wasn't fatal, but it's just a safety precaution."

"Charizard seemed okay after the battle, but I'll take your word for it," Ash said, minimizing the Poké Ball. "I should probably swap Pokémon and give Charizard a break. Plus, the others can also get to see Orre for themselves."

"Now that's a good idea! Take care, Ash!" Nurse Joy replied with a wave.

As Ash left the reception counter, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Paul was in the row of videophones talking to Reggie. From what he could gather before walking to a videophone next to him, Paul had exchanged a Pokémon for another as seen with a new Poké Ball in its transporter. Reggie was also laughing rather loudly for a reason.

"Wow, Paul! Looks like battles are not the only things you excel at!" Reggie exclaimed, calming down. "Your adventures sound entertaining, right up to the part where you tackled Anabel into the… oasis water!" His uproar of laughter rose again with Paul's impatience dropping dangerously into the red.

"I only called for Pokémon exchanges, not for your insipid laughter over trivial matters," Paul stated, his angered voice strained. "Good-bye." He abruptly ended the call and stood up. He found Ash sitting in the videophone next to him with a dumbfounded expression. "Not a word to _anyone_." Ash's response was a slow, robotic nod. "Hmph."

"Hey, Ash!" Anabel's voice called out with her coming from the bathroom. Her silk blouse was still not dry so she was reduced to wearing a button lavender tee with frilly curves on the bottom end and her sleeve ends. The tee was rather revealing if one should happen to think about it. Her expression froze and glowered when she saw Paul nearby, coming to a slow stop behind Ash. "What are you doing here?"

"Like that matters to anyone else," Paul muttered coldly. Their earlier incident back at the Oasis PokéSpot created quite a rift between the two Trainers of opposite personalities. Not even Ash could mediate this fight for long. "Why don't you go stick your feet in someone's drink?"

"Why don't you remove the poor creature stuck up your butt?"

"Guys, enough of this!" Ash spoke out, having to come between Paul and Anabel for the seventh time in a row today. Their glaring sparks of anger still pierced though the mediator despite his best attempts. He glanced at Paul. "We're here at Phenac City and _didn't_ bother to sightsee." He shifted his gaze on Anabel. "We're here at the Pokémon Center, free from the desert wilderness. So _please_ relax."

A few seconds had passed and so far, there was still no progress of the incident being left in the past as it should. Ash looked at both sides, their grim expressions remained. It was only until Anabel broke the silence with a deep breath. She walked past Ash and closer to Paul until their faces were a few centimeters away.

"This isn't over yet," Anabel whispered rather vehemently at his face. Paul's expression remained bitter. "I love Ash _too_ much to make him worry like this. I'll let you win this once _only_ if you swear not to push me like that in the oasis."

"I don't make promises I want to keep," Paul said in a level tone. He faced away from her and went to the Center's exit in his usual even pace. Anabel was flustered for a second before brushing it off with another deep breath.

"Let it go, Anabel," Ash said, coming to her aid. Anabel slightly relaxed in his touch. "You know you're the better person out of all of this. Just let Paul be whatever he wants to be and you be you. Got it?"

"I understand," Anabel sighed, allowing Ash's warmth to eradicate her hate of Paul.

* * *

**Quite an eventful chapter, wouldn't you agree? While I did mean to focus mainly upon Zoey and Drew, I guess I needed to add a small part of the main story along with it. Though this ending does not exactly progress through the story, it does show quite the character development. Ah, yes, character development is what I feel I still need to work on.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	11. Mobilize

**Just because that the season of summer had officially begun a while ago doesn't mean that I'll be able to constantly update as I want to. From senior graduation (as part of the top ten percent of my class, if I may boast), my next challenge is becoming a successful college freshman at many things. There are so many new possibilities waiting for me up ahead, and I'm quite ecstatic to tell the truth. So as I create my own destiny, I also wish you all good luck in your endeavors as well. And thank you for those still with me at this time. I know that the sequel isn't much so far, but there will be a lot more shocking twists and turns up ahead.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The lair was as same as it ever was, the same way it was first built in fact. It was cold, dank, mechanical, and suspicious. Not to mention that it was also dangerous to stay in the same spot for long in the lair as it was built over a quiet, but flowing volcano. Most of all, however, was that it gave off the same ominous, menacing vibe to those unfamiliar to the strange location. From afar, it gave off its foreboding warning. After all, Citadark Island was surrounded with the most vicious waves and the most terrible storms a hardened sailor would desire to brave through.

The earth-based headquarters of Reverse-Cipher was reestablished upon this dangerous island. Ardos had reactivated the entire old foundation built around the Citadark Volcano. It was as though life began to stir once again and would thereby be free from the metaphorical black-and-white frozen time frame, reanimated and colored under Ardos' complete and utter control. His reunited scientists began to modify the old machines and computers throughout the base, upgrading their hard drives to the latest version of technology to store their precious data on Project: XDrus and its success over many wild Pokémon in Kanto and Johto. This included the creation of the perfected Ankoku-ShadowPokérus strain. The Reverse-Cipher scientists even followed Ardos' order of creating a backup set of data for XD00∞, the ultimate Shadow Giratina roaming the cursed heavens above the Orre region ready to tear apart the desert lands on command.

With the foundation of Reverse-Cipher working actively as ever before, Ardos and his Reverse-Cipher Admins of old and new were gathered in the meeting room. It was the large area where his father and former ultimate creation, XD001, met their downfall. The space was the location of the final battle.

"Ah, it's good to finally be off our floating sky base," Ardos said, his back turned towards his strongest members. "Before we can get down to business with future planning, I want us to be more _acquainted_ in a sense." He turned around and faced them, his black glasses gleaming sinisterly. "So, who would like to go first?"

"Ooh! Ooh! Me!" a peppy, female voice cheered. The dim light shined upon her, revealing her to be the youngest member of Reverse-Cipher to date, much less an Admin. Her hair was a rich chocolate brown color; her silky strands were long enough to be measure up to her thin hips. She also wore a white form-fitting uniform similar to that of the last female Cipher Admin.

"My, aren't we enthusiastic," Ardos applauded coolly. "Tell us, young lady, what is your name."

"Ooh! My name is Celeste!" the young girl exclaimed, hopping excitedly over the chance that she was introducing herself to her elders. "I'm only eleven years old, but I'm already a prodigy in the Orre region. It's all thanks to Uncle Stein!"

"Hmm, yes. Stein, are you present?"

"Over here, sir," the calculating scientist alerted, walking to his niece's side. "I must thank my brother and his wife for conceiving such a fertile, pure child to aid in our plans."

"I got my skills from Mommy and Daddy!" Celeste added, winking playfully.

Though she was naïve and a bit brash as any young child would, her precociousness at Pokémon battling was what attracted Reverse-Cipher to her and her potential. Even the cold figures of the dark organization could not help but feel somewhat warm by her innocent personality. It was shame, though, that such innocence such as hers would be easily swayed and manipulated by the sweet words and beguiling promises offered from the cold figureheads of Reverse-Cipher. It was a tragic shame indeed, considering that her parents would never approve of an action of helping criminals, just so that she would not make the same mistake as they had many years ago.

"Speaking of her parents, I'm curious to see how your brother and Venus are coping with their missing daughter, Stein," Ardos said, tapping his fingers together.

"Ein and Venus definitely miss her and may be possibly aware that _we_ have her," Stein reported, calmly pacing around his niece. "Though they have retired into a ranch near Agate Village, they are still powerless against us."

"Excuse me, Uncle Stein, but why can't my parents know I'm here with you?" Celeste asked, her large olive-green pupils shining. Stein chuckled, kneeling down to her eye level. Unaware of the secret plans in store for her, the youngest Reverse-Cipher Admin grinned widely for her intelligent uncle to speak persuasive words to her.

"Because, my dear, we work like 'secret superheroes,'" Stein explained, his niece entranced. "We don't fight for glory. We fight to make things right the way they _should_. Won't this be a nice surprise for your parents once we've reached our goal of raising our powerful Giratina?"

"You make this sound so easy and fun, Uncle Stein!"

"Okay, that's enough of family quality time, you two," Ardos interrupted, clapping his hands to end the conversation. He looked down at Celeste with a satisfied smirk present under his shady glasses. "Celeste, I'm sure that you'll be a beneficial asset to the Reverse-Cipher organization in due time. Now then, who else is left to introduce themselves aside from Celeste and Stein?"

"That would be us!" a rigid voice roared.

"Two of Cipher's former members renewing their membership!" a second voice shouted.

The light shone upon them. Long, blazing red hair was what stood out of the first Admin that spoke out. The silhouette of the second Admin was seen to have the terrible posture to that of a gorilla. They were revealed and feared to be two of the most aggressive and easily angered members in the history of the Cipher organization, before its rebirth. The imposing Dakim and the wild Gorigan stood out as the last of the Reverse-Cipher Admins yet to be formally introduced.

"Ah, Gorigan! So good to see you again," Ardos greeted, amused to learn that his old colleague and co-worker had returned. He folded his arms across his chest and approached the center of the small Reverse-Cipher Admin circle. "I take it that jail had a cage too small to play in?"

"Not only that, but look who I found as a suitable Tag Team partner," Gorigan grunted, extending his thick, gangly arm out to introduce Dakim. The muscle-bound man stomped forward. Though rather aged and slightly slimmer than before, Dakim appeared as fearsome and strong as ever. His long red hair flowed like fire every time he moved his head around, rattling his old necklace of Poké Balls in the same direction.

"Let me put it this way," Dakim said, his stone expression looking upon Ardos. "Gorigan bewilders our opponents and then I finish them off with a powerful blow before they could react. Enough said."

"A man of few words; you'll fit in quite nicely, Dakim," Ardos said, offering his hand to the former member. "Welcome back." Dakim took the small hand into his larger hand, engulfing it completely. Yet despite the obvious outcome that he could easily crush his new leader's hand without trying, Dakim shook the hand like a civilized and well-bred gentleman.

"Those two are really scary, Uncle Stein," Celeste whispered into her uncle's ear. Stein stood back up full height, patting the soft head of his young niece.

"Just make sure you don't get in their way when battling, Celeste," Stein replied, walking away and chuckling to himself. Using her little common sense, Celeste understood pretty much on how to not get those two angry, especially in the battlefield. "Come along, Celeste."

"Yes, Uncle!"

She ran as fast as she could to catch up with Stein, her heart beating and pace hastening. For some reason, she felt a strange emotion that warned her of her involvement with her uncle's secret business. It almost felt like fear telling her that something was amiss about the entire arrangement of her service to Reverse-Cipher, and yet Stein told her that there was nothing in the Reverse-Cipher organization for her to be scared of. A sort of apprehensiveness, Celeste could not ignore such a feeling as it was in her nature to be a curious young child. Whatever the feeling was, the innocent Reverse-Cipher Admin isolated it from the rest of her emotions and caught up with her uncle in leaving the meeting room. Their differently paced footsteps were heard echoing in the large, hollow room. Ardos scoffed at the progress of his scientist "teaching" his niece, turning his back to his remaining two Admins.

"You two have my permission to go to our laboratory below," Ardos said, looking up at the gloomy, open ceiling. The black haze, emitted from the inactive volcano and floating up into the gray clouds above, was a mesmerizing sight for him ever since his father had taken over Cipher all those years ago. "Use the ShadowPokérus to make your Pokémon even stronger. Use it on all six of your Pokémon if you must. Just be careful around the Ankoku strain."

"Why is that, _sir_?" Gorigan queried, still adjusting to the fact that his once fellow Admin had greatly moved up the ladder. Ardos sneered, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"That strain was made for only to control powerful Legendary Pokémon like Giratina. This ultimate Shadow Pokémon will be our greatest weapon to conquer this universe. Once XD00∞ matures and reaches its full power within these three months, it will travel dimensions and lure both the almighty deities of time and space to us."

"Dialga and Palkia…?"

"That is correct, friend," Ardos said, forming a vicious smirk. "Once Reverse-Cipher gets a hold of both Dialga and Palkia with the Ankoku-ShadowPokérus, we will use their incredible powers of time and space to spread the ShadowPokérus throughout the entire world. Project: XDrus will be a complete success once all infected Shadow Pokémon, wild or captured, are under our influence. I shall continue where my father had failed and become the Grand Master of a grand, dark empire!"

Gorigan remained silent. This was not the same Ardos he knew back in the day, back when he was a simple and rather stoic bodyguard of former Grand Master Greevil. Ardos never had such seemingly insane dreams or psychotic delusions of grandeur. He was merely satisfied of allowing his father, nay the Grand Master, live his dream of controlling Cipher. What Ardos had been dreaming about defied the boundaries that were supposedly set under Greevil's previous rule. Nevertheless, Gorigan had escaped from prison with Dakim's help and were both going to comply with their new leader's wishes.

"Very well then, sir," Dakim said, bowing alongside Gorigan. "If we're done here, we'll take our leave then."

"Dismissed," Ardos declared with a swipe of his arm. Dakim and Gorigan nodded, slowly traveling towards the elevator. The elevator had suddenly rose, having delivered a Reverse-Cipher Peon. He came running past the burly duo and fell on his knees before Ardos.

"Master Ardos…! I've come with a report!" he panted. Ardos took a deep breath and squeezed the muscle between his eyes.

"You're currently on thin ice, Naps," Ardos said in a rather unsatisfied tone. "You didn't think I'd take you back in because of your past failures that easily, did you? If you were only as skillful as your sister…"

"I'm nothing… like Lovrina! At least I didn't desert Reverse-Cipher like she did when it was reformed by your hand! Get it?" Naps ranted, quieting down into submissiveness half a second later. "I'm sorry I… spoke out of terms like this, Master Ardos."

"Well, it _has_ been rumored that she was last seen attempting to flirt with that kid who foiled all of us in the past," Ardos added, stroking his chin and approached the acquiescent Peon. "What are you here to report of anyway?" Naps looked up to his superior and silently growled to himself.

"That brat had friends while we ambushed and seized Krane's laboratory to eliminate resistance," Naps seethed. He grounded his own fist into the cold, metal floor as his own form of punishment for failure. "There were three strange kids we've never seen before, from a far away land possibly." He noticed that Ardos' expression had grimaced when he mentioned kids, especially when they somehow managed to stop his plan.

"Continue, Naps."

"Two of these kids were kind of like opposites in a way, had purple hair, and were definitely both guys," Naps explained, coming to a halt in the descriptions. He had second thoughts about the way one of the first two brats looked like. "W-Wait for just one minute! I think one of them was a girl, at least that's what I heard from the third new kid with the Pikachu. Strange though, I could have sworn the redhead's outside guests were all boys."

"Naps…"

"Okay! There was the uncaring, emo looking lad with long purple hair who seems to favor Dark-type Pokémon. Then there's the _girl_, I'm sure of it this time, also with purple hair. Though, her looks more like a shade of lilac in the right light. And finally, there's the third kid with the Pikachu. I think that he's the leader of the foreign brat brigade."

"So those are Michael's guests…?" Ardos asked, his voice sounding rather scheming. "Interesting… Interesting indeed."

"Uh…, yes! Yes indeed, Master Ardos!" Naps concurred hesitantly.

"That's not what I meant, but something about the two of them sounded familiar. The leader with the Pikachu, and the lilac-haired boy…"

"Girl, sir," Naps corrected.

"Whatever!" Ardos spat indifferently, turning away and paced.

His sleeved arms folded behind his back, right above the flowing tail of his dark blue coat. Ardos contemplated. It was as though time came to a standstill and the rest of reality, unimportant in his search, faded into temporary darkness. Something about those two children stuck out to him, as if he encountered them before. The search within his cryptic memories was brief for the one memory found its way to him. It was coming back to him. It was back at the moment before he betrayed Team Rocket, right before he personally saw to the end of the Rocket leader seven months ago. For a terrible incongruous twist, Ardos had turned Giovanni's own men against him and threw the cornered boss overboard into the dark ocean. It was dark, damaged, and infected by XD00∞'s presence. Having had its first extravaganza of destruction upon Sinnoh Island, the isle of the Sinnoh Pokémon League and Grand Festival, the Shadow Giratina lusted for more darkness and desolation. Ardos and Reverse-Cipher had no problem satiating its fierce appetite until it was time, and the Orre region was fresh from its recovery of Cipher's previous reign with XD001.

But what Ardos had failed to even suspect, out of palpable arrogance and psychosis, was that children have begun rebelling against him once again. Children; they looked harmless on the outside, but have the potential to be great nuisances against authority on the inside.

"S-Sir? Master Ardos?" Naps asked, wondering why his leader had not moved an inch since he pondered about the brats he told them about. "You okay there?"

_Those two kids… I know them from before_, Ardos though, his suppressed anger slowly boiling within. His thoughts about a new group of kids, like the previous Kids Grid and the current ONBS, attempting to thwart Reverse-Cipher's plans did not exactly put him in the greatest of moods. The fact that Naps was attempting to get his attention with bothersome repetition of standard questions did not help his terribly short patience either. He spoke out before his irritation could. "What is it this time, Naps?"

"Oh… According to our various sources, the foreign trio of heroic brats was last seen heading to Phenac City. That is all."

"If that is all, you're dismissed," Ardos seethed with gritted teeth. He was still too upset at the Peon's incompetence to even face his direction, creating some sort of misunderstanding for the clueless soldier.

"Uh, does that mean dismissed from this meeting, or… dismissed from—?"

"You incompetent!" Ardos roared. He smacked his own forehead once; it was all red with blood flowing at a fast pace. The brutal sound had also echoed in the large space of the gathering room. "Use your _head_! Unless you're aiming to be executed posthaste, I wouldn't suggest continuously provoking my inner hatred out, Naps."

"Y-Y-Yes, Master Ardos!" Naps stuttered quickly, tongue-tied by the intimidation of the misanthropist he called his leader.

"Now, if you want to actually prove your worth to Reverse-Cipher, mobilize the Hexagon Brothers Ω to raid Phenac City, destroy anything in their path and trap those kids," Ardos commanded, his cold stoic façade returning. "Have I made myself clear, Naps?"

"On it," Naps coughed somewhat in a squeak, slowly walking backwards to the elevator. "I'll find the Hexagon Brothers Ω and send them out before you can say, uh, 'shadow.'"

"… 'Shadow.'"

"I wasn't ready yet!"

"Get o_ut_!"

* * *

"Guys, just… please," Ash begged in a fatigued tone, "stop this madness before someone actually gets hurt even worse besides just you two."

The unfortunate Aura Guardian and Pikachu were between a rock and a hard place, a situation that did not bode so well for him. The problem had persisted for almost five days. He was still trapped, trapped in the middle of their ridiculous dispute carried from the oasis. Paul remained unmoving by his pathetic pleas, cold and indifferent to nature around him more than the normal rock. His dear Anabel was stubborn and restless, attempting to crack open the hardest rock almost by any means. No progress to a truce was even made while they remained in Phenac City. Ash was trapped in the center, even as they walked around the small city rich with precious water. The binding tensions of the argument were quite noticeable as some civilians quickly stepped aside as the trio passed. Their facial attitudes to the strangers were apparent. Even the runner with the Castform by the large fountain stopped cold when they passed by the fountain, uncertain and weary of the outsiders as the rest of his people.

"Tell that to the pathetic queen of ignorance," Paul sneered without looking at Ash's direction. His eyes were shut tight, irritated from having to look at his supposed two allies. He would, however, consider the term "ally" pretty loosely since he still was not fond of them much at all.

"Oh, ha ha," Anabel mocked, pouting. "And that's coming from the lord of rudeness." She folded her arms across her chest and turned her upper torso in the direction opposite of her cold source of aggravation. Even Ash could not comprehend and approve of her somewhat unreasonable behavior. While he did agree on the fact that Paul shoving her into the cool oasis water as a sour joke was too much, retaliating with her anger would still not change the fact that she was greatly humiliated in front of her lover like that.

"This is getting too much, Pikachu," Ash whispered tiredly to his buddy on his shoulder.

"Pikapi, Pikachu," Pikachu sighed. "… Pika?" His extraordinary senses and perception alerted the Mouse Pokémon to a peculiar building in the center of the city. Pikachu leapt off, much to the surprise of the currently unstable trio. He ran ahead amidst the civilians.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out at an attempt. He, Anabel, and Paul ran as well to catch up with him. Pikachu's electric-yellow fur was still visible, heading up the stoop and towards the low building at the heart of Phenac City. "Where's he going?"

"He was excited, saying something about a Pokémon Gym," Anabel surmised from Pikachu's swift movement and chatter. The trio soon caught up with Pikachu in front of the supposed Gym. The Mouse Pokémon was looking at the sign with a sort of confused look and tilt. The sign said "Pre Gym."

"I didn't know Orre had a Pokémon Gym," Ash commented, examining the corners far and near of the building within his sight. He heard a disdainful noise coming from Paul; the latter merely scowled at his blatantly insensible response.

"You _really_ don't pay attention much," Paul said; the focus of his piercing eyes went beyond the transparent automatic doors. Ash's expression became dour, but that did not stop Paul from explaining a brief synopsis of Orre's differences from the other four regions. It was not like he wanted to explain these obvious things. It was just that time and again, he grew tiresome of Ash's lack of knowledge thereof. "Orre doesn't have a Gym. This is only a Pre Gym, an unofficial Gym not sponsored by the Pokémon League in any shape or form. It's probably the only Pre Gym to ever be built in Orre. The National Pokémon League Committee hasn't given the Orre region its own Pokémon League considering that it's mostly desert wasteland with the paucity of civilizations and scarcity of wild Pokémon. In fact, the only competitions for Pokémon battling and seldom Contests in the Orre region are the old-fashioned Orre Colosseum, the high-class Realgam Tower, and the ultimate challenge for Pokémon Trainers, Mt. Battle. Otherwise, Orre's just a pathetic waste of a country."

"You've been brushing up on your Orre history, haven't you?" Anabel queried in a rather sickly-sweet tone, grinning widely. Paul's expression did not change with the exception of a raised cynical brow. Ash and Pikachu had activated the automatic doors, letting themselves in.

"I'm not _falling_ for your trap, _Salon Maiden_," Paul whispered with bitter ice, passing her by and followed Ash inside, but not before looking back with that arrogant smirk of his. The said Salon Maiden had fortunately contained her increased anger, though her signs of emotional struggle were unconcealed to the ongoing Phenac civilians. She had quickly used Cresselia's healing power to alleviate her stress, awakening her into a crowd filled with blank stares and suspicious glares. Alone and outside of the Pre Gym, Anabel discovered Ash and Paul waiting on the other side of the automatic glass doors for her. Ash had an astounded shock expression similar to one of the bystanders while the rival next to him smirked at his victory.

_You're not going to win this war, Paul_, Anabel thought, biting her lip and rushing inside.

The interior of the Phenac City Pre Gym was completely different from the rest of the city. While the theme of the city resembled that to an oasis filled with life-refreshing water, the hidden salvation within the searing desert, the Pre Gym was designed and equipped with the latest technology of simulations and recordings. There was even a small Trainer's school class at the left side, where several aspiring Trainers learn the simple basics. Ash, Paul, and Anabel noticed several other young Trainers were at work at the machines on the side. As the trio delved deeper, they discovered a large, elevated Pokémon battlefield to which the machines at the side were connected and linked up to.

Ash and Anabel were close together, admiring the sophisticated sights of something as simple as a Pre Gym. Paul was more interested in the elevated battlefield platform up ahead. Making their way towards the center casually, the three of them bumped into a rather charming young man with long dark-blue hair. The young man was briefly surprised, discarding it and replacing it with an amiable look.

"Oh, my, we haven't had visitors in quite a while," he said, chuckling lightly.

"Why not?" Ash asked. The young man smiled and laughed his charming laugh. He brushed off some dust on his uniform-like white coat.

"Ah, yes. Well, the thing is that with Reverse-Cipher running loose once again on Orre with that Shadow Giratina of theirs, I believed that it would be best if we had remained in a low profile."

"In other words, you and your followers are just going to hide like cowards," Paul suggested bluntly. Ash stumbled on his feet, accidentally throwing Pikachu off his shoulder. Anabel shook her head, offhandedly sighing about his typical lack of social grace and etiquette.

"Please forgive our friend," Ash pleaded. "He's not exactly a people's person." The man smiled as though nothing happened.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not your _friend_?" Paul threatened in a subtle, but vehement tone.

"He's also barely a person, just so you know and are fairly warned," Anabel added, giggling to herself.

"Hmph…," Paul sharply exhaled and looked away.

"Look, it's no problem really, guys. My name's Justy, by the way," Justy greeted.

"My name is Ash," Ash said, offering his hand for Justy to shake. He graciously accepted it while Pikachu jumped back to his place on Ash's shoulder. "And this is my closest buddy, Pikachu."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed. Justy had no problem in petting Pikachu, who loved the sensitive touch to his ears by any friendly human.

"I'm Anabel, and it's great to meet you, Justy," Anabel greeted politely and beamed. Justy nodded to her before glancing at their quiet, but rough acquaintance, waiting for him to introduce himself. Paul opened an eye, having sensed Justy's confused stare on him for a short moment.

"Hmph… the name's Paul," he stated curtly.

"Uh, I see," Justy said, chuckling rather nervously. Ash immediately came to his aid and pulled him aside towards the center Pokémon battlefield. Two young Trainers had finished their battle, emerging from the sides with a Diglett and a Voltorb accompanying each of them.

"So Justy, do you work here in the Pre Gym?" Ash inquired.

"Work here? I'm the leader of the Pre Gym!" Justy exclaimed, grinning widely. The trio's eyes widened at the revelation, yet the way they viewed him did not change. He acted as though he was a simple, modest worker, an ordinary Pokémon Trainer at best. When he said he wanted to keep a low profile to avoid detection from Reverse-Cipher, Justy meant it. His charming demeanor had otherwise convinced them. "It's true. I am the only Pre Gym Leader in the Orre region, one of the strongest Trainers ever to come from Orre. I'm sorry I didn't bring that up earlier, but I thought that it wouldn't matter."

"It's no problem, Justy," Ash said, "but if you're as strong as you say you are, then why are you hiding from Reverse-Cipher instead of fighting back?" He watched the Pre Gym Leader releasing a heavy sigh and moving several bangs on his forehead back.

"Ever since its return to Orre, the Reverse-Cipher organization took it upon itself to instill fear and hopelessness into every citizen they find," Justy explained in a rather depressed tone. Harboring empathy for his situation, even though he had not finished, Anabel had placed her hand on his chest, utilizing her psychic powers to heal his small anguish. "Thanks for that, Anabel. But how did you do that?"

"No need to worry about that," Anabel beamed, taking her side next to Ash. "Please continue."

"Very well… Reverse-Cipher unleashed their newest horrible creation upon their return to the Orre region. A chimera of distortions was what it was. It claimed many innocent lives and destroyed millions of homes for the seven months it served under that dark organization. I didn't know how, but those criminals somehow ascertained Giratina from the Distortion World and transformed it into another Shadow Pokémon said to be completely resistant to Purification." Justy turned his back towards his visitors and paced slowly near the battlefield. "But that's what they also said about Shadow Lugia. Michael defied all odds, if you hadn't known that already."

"We kind of know some history behind Cipher, including Michael's previous adventure," Anabel pointed out. Justy nodded and glanced at the empty battlefield.

"That kid had potential when he had the time to challenge me in the ring. I can still remember that awesome battle he gave me all those years ago. Him, his Jolteon, and the Shadow Pokémon he snagged and purified from Cipher worked together and took me down. I knew he had potential to pose a real threat to Cipher when he breezed through my younger apprentices, but I didn't imagine that he was able to become Orre's second savior after the first savior faded into history. Man, I had to give him props on his notable victories over those Cipher Admins and the Grand Master. However…"

A cold moment took place during Justy's pause. Ash, Anabel, and Paul looked at him intently for an answer. The Pre Gym Leader closed his eyes contemplatively for a few seconds. His face was read as uncertain, regretful, and such of the negative like.

"'However' what?" Ash inquired.

"I have my own doubts that not even Michael can stop the new Reverse-Cipher," Justy replied grimly, his focused eyes reopening. The feeling of gloom visited them. The other young Trainers around the Pre Gym stopped their work, looking at their leader with the shared expression of pitiful concern. The activity was at a standstill until a certain brave young man and his Pokémon shattered the binding silence. He stomped his foot forward and gave a pose with his stretched arm at Justy.

"This is why we're here, Justy," Ash began, mildly startling the Pre Gym Leader. "The three of us have been chosen for our strength, our empathy, and our love for Pokémon. There's no way we can let Reverse-Cipher get away with this any longer. So there's absolutely no need to worry! We're here to drive the darkness away from Orre and the world for good!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

His uplifting speech surprised them all. A seventeen-year old boy with a big heart left the entire facility speechless. Justy felt most impressed by his bravado, even smiling back to confirm his appreciation for the empowering gesture. But whether he wanted Ash and his friends to go off and fight the terrible Reverse-Cipher themselves, he still had some doubts about this. Ash's display did show some real courage to restore the Pre Gym back to content activity, but some of it felt more like foolish recklessness.

"I'm really glad you spoke your heart out to him, Ash," Anabel said, giving Ash a quick peck on the cheek. "You've also given people back their lost hope, even when they feel like they don't deserve it."

"Hmph, how about instead of words, you show Justy that you _can_ fight off Reverse-Cipher?" Paul suggested, forming a rough smile. Ash looked at him, his eye brow raised. "A one-on-one battle is all it takes to convince the closet sad sack otherwise."

"Paul!"

"Don't worry about it," Justy intervened, assuring that he was alright. "I've faced worse people than him. So do you want to face me in a one-on-one battle, Ash?" His young visitor did not have to think twice when it came to battling. Not only did Ash want to show off his and his Pokémon's strength, but if it was to convince Justy that he had a chance against the enigmatic criminal organization like Michael did several years ago, then so be it.

"I'd love too!"

* * *

_Pregymleader Justy would like to battle!_

The two combatants entered the ring with the other Trainers watching from the side in anxious breath. They noticed that Justy held his fists tight and close to his chest as though he was fighting for himself. His battling posture, described by his young followers, allowed him to experience the fullness of battling alongside his Pokémon. Though as strange as it was, it allowed him to imagine and convince his mind that he and his Pokémon shared synchronous movements of attack, defense, evasion, and even enduring pain. From their definition and reasonable philosophy, it was as though Justy and his Pokémon acted as one, a sort of unity all Trainers wish to share with their strongest and closest partners.

"I know this battle is going to be short, but let's make this worthwhile," Justy proposed, clenching the chosen Poké Ball in his hand with resolute charm. "As the Pre Gym Leader of Phenac City and only one in the Orre region, I must tell you that you won't win anything."

"Eh?" Ash grunted.

"I'm not arrogant or anything, but I cannot offer any Badges or anything useful aside from information." Justy nodded, spinning the Poké Ball on the tip of his finger. "Shall we begin? Nosepass, let's go!" With an elegant flick of the wrist, the Poké Ball was sent spinning. It opened up and unleashed the Compass Pokémon onto the field with thud.

"Nosepass!" it grunted, adjusting its body up and erect.

"A Nosepass, huh?" Ash mused, glancing at Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon on his shoulder gave a zealous smile, nodding once. "Okay then. Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, leaping off and joining the lone Nosepass in the battlefield. Nosepass' nose accurately pointed at Pikachu. The emotion from the Compass Pokémon's eyes changed from relaxed to fierce. "Piiiii…" Pikachu stared back, his red cheeks eagerly discharging static.

"Go for it, Pikachu!" Anabel cheered with a sparse amount of Trainers that support Ash. They were mostly young boys that admired him for standing up with that speech of his. The remaining Trainers, the female majority of the Pre Gym, were diehard Justy admirers. Paul was the only one who remained silent and neutral at the side lines, glaring upon the chosen Pokémon for battle.

_If you were actually serious about showing him that you can handle your responsibility, you should have sent out Sceptile or Tyranitar_, Paul thought, an irate sneer marking his face. _You still talk and act like a goddamned little kid. Pathetic…_

"Pikachu, let's start off with Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted. He sprinted forward with the speedy trail left behind him illuminated. Pikachu went in closer and closer. Nosepass remained stationary with no issued command for an attack. "PikaPikaPikaPikaPika…!" The Mouse Pokémon hustled and tackled into Nosepass as hard as he could. The damage was barely effective. Nosepass barely felt a scratch. The Compass Pokémon remained on its feet, lifeless.

"It's our turn now. Nosepass, start off with Double Team!"

"Nosepass-pass-pass!" Nosepass, finally energized by the command, shouted. "Pass-pass-pass…" The real Nosepass had disappeared into a circle of illusory, identical copies of itself, chanting over and over to completely bewilder the opponent into a state of shock. Pikachu was taken aback as expected, apprehensive about finding the real one while avoiding its sneak attacks.

"Oh! How can an immobile Pokémon like Nosepass move so fast?" Ash remarked.

"The main question now is if you can find Nosepass before it can find the perfect opportunity to strike," Justy said, leaning his torso forward. By the way he was postured, Ash knew that time was running out for him. Justy and Nosepass were ready to pounce and both Ash and Pikachu had no way of knowing how or when to foresee it.

"I guess we should do this the old-fashioned way then. Anything's better than sitting there and doing nothing. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on all of the Nosepass!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Pikachu screamed, releasing his powerful charge of electricity like a thunder storm from above. The lightning streaks rained down and attacked the individual Compass Pokémon copies, each of them disappearing from the hit. Many of the Nosepass copies were quickly eliminated, save it for the real one that somehow got away from the illusion circle. "Pika?!"

"Nosepass, Thunder Wave!"

"Nooooose-pass!" Nosepass shouted, releasing a distinct electromagnetic discharge from the tip of its large nose. The wave had quickly ensnared Pikachu as he came back down to earth, binding and sealing off control his own neural network. The Thunder Wave, simply put, interfered with the normal activity of Pikachu's nervous system, preventing proper function and total control over the joints in his small body. The Mouse Pokémon could still move, but chances were that the interfering waves would freeze him during the moments that truly mattered.

"We're not giving up that easily! Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Let's go!"

"Pika…," Pikachu murmured, storing the electricity within his cheek pouches. The great build of Nosepass overshadowed him menacingly. The intimidation pushed Pikachu to stand back up and fight back with all his might. The activity of electrical discharge increased around his cheeks. Now was the perfect time to strike back, to counterattack. "Pika-chuuuu!"

"Nosepass, use Zap Cannon!"

"Nooooose!" Nosepass grunted, forming a bright sphere of its electromagnetic field, launched posthaste. The spherical electric field came in contact with the powerful bolt of lightning, creating a stalemate at first. Both Electric attacks were pushing against each other, forcing the other into assimilation for a greater chance of damage and paralysis. The power struggle was ambitious, but the Thunderbolt had triumphed and the Zap Cannon attack had dissipated into the powerful volts of lightning. Pikachu's Electric attack grew in size. "Nose?! NOSE!" The bolt of lightning struck Nosepass' large nose as if it was a lightning rod; the electricity quickly engulfing the rest of its hard body.

"No, Nosepass!" Justy yelled.

The Thunderbolt had just ended, yet the small area around Nosepass was still a dangerous electric field. Electromagnetic discharge coursed around the Compass Pokémon, specifically around its nose. Nosepass' closed eyes were shaking and wincing in pain. Its hollow groans were inconsistent and barely audible. Nosepass attempted to move a single part of its body, an arm, when the joint froze and static electricity erupted.

"We did it, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Nosepass is paralyzed, too. It's time to strike with Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled back in agreement. Mustering up his remaining energy to move his body before the paralysis could stop him mid-attack, Pikachu ran forward on all fours. The Mouse Pokémon quickly built up enough speed in order to use the extra momentum a more effective hit with his Iron Tail. With a high leap into the air, Pikachu directed his small body towards Nosepass and spun like a torpedo. His lightning-shaped tail began to glow as bright as polished steel. "Chuuuuu…!"

"It's not over yet!" Justy shouted. "Nosepass, Stone Edge!"

"N-No-o-se…!" Nosepass bellowed, coping with its recent paralysis. The Compass Pokémon temporarily broke free from the binding static, summoning forth two glowing rings of rock shards around its body. The shards briefly circled around his body as Nosepass focused them on the falling target with the glowing tail. Pikachu was nearing closer and the shards were slowly circling around.

"… —PIKA!"

"… —PASS!"

It was unknown who got the first strike. Nosepass' shards were prepped to be launched the moment Pikachu was about to strike down overhead with Iron Tail. The supposed collision created a hazy explosion of incredible power. The shockwaves blew against all sides as everyone involved in the battle or not had braced for impact. The winds were strong, temporarily blinding the sights of the weak and flowing through the hair of the strong. It had no doubt indicated that the force both Pokémon had exerted was true, impeccable, and quite dangerous. Real warriors could only thrive from the battlefield. Both Ash and Justy, though worried about their Pokémon, were very impressed.

"Pikachu, you still there?" Ash called out. He tightly closed his eyes and focused his mind's eye to search for the auras of his buddy and his opponent within the gradually dissipating smoke.

"Nosepass," Justy sighed.

"I see them! They're both on the ground."

"Huh?"

Justy was a bit mystified on how Ash was able to spot both Pikachu and Nosepass within the somewhat thick smoke. Fortunately the smoke had disappeared into nothing and revealed the two battlers on the ground like Ash had said. What Ash had not clarified, though, was that Pikachu and Nosepass were actually lying on the ground, unable to continue battling. Their bodies were exhausted, out of energy. Their short battle was over.

"The battle's over!" a young Trainer from the side declared. "Both the Pre Gym Leader's Nosepass and the visitor's Pikachu are unable to battle! It's a tie! A tie it is!"

"Nosepass, return," Justy said, holding up the Poké Ball and retracting the Compass Pokémon back into his possession. "Thank you for the wonderful battle." He gingerly walked towards Ash, who cradled Pikachu in his arms and also thanked him for an awesome job well done. "Though it was a tie, I would definitely give you a Badge for your troubles since I loved the battle. I can see now that you do have what it takes to save Orre with your friends, Ash."

"Thank you very much, Justy," Ash replied, standing back up. They both shook hands to officially cement their friendship and trust. Their audience, save it for Paul, had applauded loudly and cheerfully.

"Let's not keep them waiting," Justy suggested, motioning towards the side exit with his thumb. Ash nodded and followed the Phenac Pre Gym Leader out of the elevated battlefield, down the steps to meet with everyone else. They were all content and satisfied with the brilliant display of their great battle.

"You did wonderful, Ash," Anabel complemented.

_Pathetic…_, Paul thought, his eyes closed and expression unapproachable. The seeds of bitter dissention had sowed themselves within him the moment Ash had engaged in battle with Justy. Not only did he disapprove of Ash's tactics, but he was violently against it. His battle with the Pre Gym Leader, in his eyes, was another waste of time for him to act like a kid. "Well, I—Aah! Oh!"

Paul had tripped over something, landing face first into the floor. The entire staff of the Phenac Pre Gym was laughing rather lightheartedly over his little mishap. The laughter did not last long, however. The moment they heard something of a demonic growl coming from the throat of the dark Trainer, the young Trainers silenced themselves immediately and resumed their duties. Determined to find out how he tripped over, Paul lifted his head up and noticed Anabel kneeling down, conversing with a Diglett. He deduced the situation as another pathetic attempt by Anabel to get him to acknowledge her as an actual threat like Ash somewhat posed to him.

"Here's a piece of candy for your troubles, Diglett," Anabel said, presenting the reward to the little Mole Pokémon. The Diglett sang happily with the candy on tow, burying underground to rejoin with its Trainer. Paul narrowed his piercing eyes on the Salon Maiden, who then approached the Veilstone City Trainer lying on the ground. His eye level was up to her ankles. "That's a good look for you, Paul."

"Stuff it if you know what's good for you, little girl," he threatened, looking up at her smiling visage.

"What? You _didn't_ like the trip I gave to you?" Anabel asked in false innocence. She turned on her heels before Paul could grab them and was about to go off to join Ash and Justy. "Just consider this for now, Paul. You were just owned by a dainty, little wallflower." She gave him a playful smirk and winked back before running off. Paul stood back up and brushed off the floor dust on his chest and stomach region.

"These two are _pathetic_," Paul muttered, enunciating each syllable of his favorite word in a deadly whisper.

* * *

"And that's it for Day Two, kids," Anabel said, standing up from her chair and stretched. She smiled to herself from listening to the exaggerated groans of both Lila and Leon.

"But you were just getting to the good parts," Lila whined, pouting.

"One thing I learned? The guy I was named after is a jerk," Leon stated, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, Mom! You haven't given us any of Paul's redeeming qualities or why you gave Leon 'Paul' as his middle name."

"Children, please relax," Anabel suggested, smiling faintly. "It's now seven o'clock, an hour past our usual dinnertime. Let's eat now and for the rest of the night until bedtime, you're free to do whatever. I would suggest preparing for your upcoming journey, though." She went off into the kitchen, preparing dinner as usual. The front door opened, revealing Grandma Delia back from her visit with Professor Oak.

"Well, Gary's doing pretty fine, a charming young man to be sure," Delia announced, entering the house. Her grandkids ran up to her for a big hug.

"Hey, Grandma!" Lila exclaimed. "How was Professor Oak doing?"

"He was thrilled to see me, dear," Delia replied, caressing the tops of their heads. "In fact, he told me to tell you guys that the Starter Pokémon he reserved for you to choose from are in excellent physical condition."

"Excellent! This week's just getting better and better," Leon said excitedly. Delia noticed his great enthusiasm and had to ask him and his sister about the progress of the tale.

"So, how far has your mother gotten in recounting her journey through Orre with your father and his rival?"

"We're kind of at the part where they stopped at Phenac City and Mom and Paul were still at each other's throats."

"But our dad is _so_ awesome!" Lila added. "I just wish I knew where he was now. I still can't believe how you and Mom kept him a secret from us throughout all this time."

"Well, you weren't ready yet to handle the news and Anabel wasn't ready to share," Delia answered, drumming her fingers together. "I know that Anabel had a difficult time sharing her story with the rest of us when she came back from Orre, with you two still not born yet. Anyway, I can assure you two that things will take pretty unexpected turns."

"Don't spoil the tale!" Lila interrupted, waving her hands at her grandmother's face. Delia laughed for a bit, looking at the direction of the kitchen.

"Say! Let's go help your mother with dinner. What do you say?"

"Okay!" Leon and Lila agreed.

* * *

**I can feel my passion for this story returning gradually. It may be only a matter of time before my updates can become a little bit more frequent. Anyway, like Delia foreshadowed, things may either take a turn either for the better… or for the worse. Consider how the characters behaved and their attitudes towards each other in the tale, and let me know what your predictions are.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	12. Dream

**Wow, I'm actually impressed on how accurate most of your predictions were. Just to show that I aim to please, most of your predictions will come true. But the methods involved to get there, I'm sure even you'll be surprised. I'll do my best with this so far, so don't get your hopes all the way up.**

**For this chapter, it's going to spend a day in the life of the present. I figured it would be best to push the future along as well, aside from the past of the tale. It's actually pretty crucial when you see what lies ahead in the tale. Some of your predictions may have and will come true, others might have not. But just wait until later before you can confirm what truth and speculation are.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The morning was as clear and tranquil as ever. The neighborhood Dodrio had given its traditional wake-up call, its shrill cries echoing at triple the volume and speed of sound, around six o'clock in the morning. The small populace of Pallet Town had begun to stir and prepare to resume their routinely peaceful lives. There had not been a day gone by that was unappreciated or scorned because of a little bad luck or accident. Accidents still happened time and again, only proving that life was truly worth treasuring. The main fact that mattered most of all in the world today was that as long as an evil like the wrath of XD00∞ would never create a horrible imbalance in the natural order, all living beings could live out life without much worry. Life was life, after all. A living being would have to make the most out of his or her life to feel a sort of accomplishment and a sense of happiness. There were many different ways in actuality, like becoming the greatest in something or finding the one person to share his or her life with. From there was the next step, however. It was the most crucial concept of life.

Making _new_ life…

"AAAHH!"

Anabel's astonished, high-pitched scream had echoed through the tranquility of the town. Of course, with the rest of the population still struggling to get out of bed, the matter of taking care of the former Salon Maiden in her distress was left to the Ketchum residence. Rushing footsteps were heard from the house, indicating that there was more than one person running down the stairs. The footsteps could then be heard heading to the back of the house, into the backyard where Anabel and the family's Mr. Mime were. The two were spotted near the large oak tree on the small hill up ahead. Their backs were turned to them. Something pretty urgent had apparently preoccupied their attention as they did not pay heed to the approach to the rest of the family.

"Goodness, my dear. That was quite a scream you let loosed," Delia said, out of breath and supported by her slightly irritated grandchildren. "That's the first I heard you exceed your usual voice level."

"Yeah, Mom! What the heck…?" Lila groaned, wiping her mildly red eyes. "I was dreaming that I finally encountered Old Man Paul in the Indigo League and I easily sent him to his place in this awesome battle."

"Too bad it was only a _dream_," Leon commented in a sarcastic tone. Lila snorted and attempted to move, her head collapsing under its weight due to her early morning exhaustion.

"Ugh… you're very lucky that I've woken up in an unnatural six o' five or else I would have beaten you and your smart mouth… again… yaaaaawn…"

"Children, please!" Delia yelled, effectively stopping the siblings' argument. "We're here because your mother is in need of help."

"Actually, I don't need the help, but something else does. Delia?" Anabel beckoned without turning around, her tone stable and serious. Delia nodded to her grandchildren, who then allowed her to stand without assistance. She cautiously walked towards Anabel and Mr. Mime; the tension of the air thickened. The eldest member of the Ketchum family leaned forward, presenting her head in between the other two's bodies. A faint gasp escaped her old lips. Her eyes, already magnified in size through her spectacles, widened even more at the sight that gave Anabel the shock of her life and maintained a sort of spellbinding hypnosis over her.

"Mom?" Leon asked, anxious. He nodded off to Lila. She tiptoed over to them, her feet quietly crunching the soft blades of grass. Without attracted attention from both their mother and grandmother, Lila peeked though the open space between their bodies to see the phenomenal sight.

"Leon, come here quick…!" Lila whispered, gesturing him with her free hand to come forward. Her brother gulped and disregarded his temporary fear of the unknown. Leon went in and joined his family, discovering what the big news was all about. Of course, given his ability to effective communicate with Pokémon like his mother, he had somewhat expected such an event to happen. There had been hints and suggestions thrown about between the Pokémon, but most of the time they were ignored and brushed to the side. It looked like ignorance had finally disappeared.

Two Pokémon eggs, never before seen around the house, were cradled by Pikachu's and Espeon's bodies.

The very discovery of these eggs even rendered the brilliant Leon Ketchum speechless. The two Pokémon were practically asleep while providing warmth and protection for the new and fragile eggs. The egg in Pikachu's care was colored in a lighter, paler shade of yellow than his fur. There was also a sort of black marking covering around a quarter of the bottom of the egg. That was pretty much what described the first egg. The second egg, in Espeon's possession, was colored a rich chocolate brown. The only defining quality on the brown egg was the cream-colored design that circled the central area of the second. From this analysis and basing it off his scholarly knowledge of Pokémon read from the books of the late Professor Samuel Oak, Leon could predict what the newest members of the Ketchum family were going to be. Yet, there was one thing that bothered him. There was just one thing that seemed out of place in this happy setting.

"How come there are _two_ Pokémon eggs instead of just one? I mean, it has only been one night, right?" Leon queried, breaking the quiet moment. The other humans in his family broke out of their trance, their memory somewhat refreshed for early morning preparation while looking at him at the same time. "… What? I'm being realistic. Two Pokémon eggs _can't_ just happen overnight."

"I've _got_ to call the others and share this news!" Anabel exclaimed, running off back into the house, leaving the rest of the family in her dust. Leon and Lila both stared blankly at her wake, somewhat surprised by their mother's jump in emotion.

"I'll go check up on your mother and get breakfast started," Delia said, giving her grandchildren time to spend with the Pokémon and the expected newborns. She and Mr. Mime left the backyard and left the door slightly ajar. With the adults now gone, it was the children's turn to experience the miracles of new life. What better way for them to do so than by having Leon communicate with the parent Pokémon?

"It's so amazing, isn't it, Leon?" Lila asked, admiring the newest family jewels. "We're going to have babies to play with and to be part of our family!" The eggs' luster reflected the rays of the morning sun off their shell. They were healthy and protected. Leon attempted to touch them, only to be viciously rebuffed by both Pikachu and Espeon. Their attitudes and expressions were different as of this day. They were incredibly defensive of their vulnerable and unborn young, only to lash out to the offender if provoked otherwise. "Serves you right!"

"Sorry, but curiosity got the better of me," Leon said, shrugging and looking at the glaring Pokémon. "But I can still talk to you guys, right?" The Pokémon's expressions relaxed into gleeful smiles and cried in affirmation, as though they had forgotten about Leon's involuntary offense previously. "Thanks."

"Good! Now that everything's water under the bridge, I've always been wondering where these Pokémon eggs came from and what they'll hatch into."

"That's an easy one for me, sis. The yellow egg Pikachu has will soon hatch into a Pichu, Pikachu's pre-evolved form."

"And Espeon's egg?"

"It will hatch into a personal favorite of mine, Eevee. Eevee is a curious Pokémon indeed, seeing how it is capable of a total of seven known evolution possibilities. The three original 'Eevee-lutions' are Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, when Eevee is exposed to the radiation of a Water Stone, Thunder Stone, or Fire Stone respective—."

"Whoops! Don't care!" Lila interrupted, shoving Leon aside out of boredom from his Pokémon lectures. She took his spot in front of the nesting Pokémon, admiring their peaceful expressions in cradling the eggs with their bodies. "So… where did these eggs come from, you two?"

Pikachu and Espeon lifted their heads up and glanced at her incredulously. They exchanged glances of confusion, followed by indifferent shrugs and returned back to their soothing slumber. Their responses did not satisfy Lila much at all. The girl giggled weakly, thinking that their behavior suggested that they were playing some sort of game with her, unknowingly teasing her with the truth she desired. Like the father she had been learning about for the past two days, Lila had a very low level of patience, considering that she was still also at the young innocent age of nine years reaching ten.

"Lila, that's not how you ask them where the eggs come from," Leon said, faking a frown. He knelt down until his eye level was at the same height as Pikachu and Espeon's. He stared into both of their deep eyes, attempting to unravel the mysteries of their past lives through mental dedication and focus. It only took a moment for him to return to reality and ask. "So… where _did_ these eggs come from?" Leon heard a sudden crash nearby, only for him to turn around and discover that his sister had fallen to the ground with her legs and feet sticking upon in the air. "Uh… you okay there?"

"You blockhead!" Lila screamed, immediately recovering from her fall and stood back up. "_I_ asked that same question to them and you gave me hard time about it! You can be such a twerp sometimes!"

"Yeah, but you were hesitant and unclear about your own question. Pokémon can _smell_ fear. So who's the twerp _now_?"

"Don't give me that boloney sandwich, Leon," Lila retorted, holding her head high and somewhat disdainfully pointing her nose away from her brother's direction.

"Oh, Lila…," Leon sighed with a slight laugh, shaking his head. The corner of his eye transferred his attention back to the parent Pokémon. Pikachu and Espeon merely stared in bewilderment, though this was short-lived. They were twins. They were siblings, and siblings' fighting is usual behavior within certain levels of tension. Most of the time, their debates were for sport, just to see who can outwit who for the time being. "So… Pikachu and Espeon, how _did_ you produce two eggs in a single night?"

The two family pets glanced at each other again. This time, they nodded in agreement.

"Pika, Pika Pikachu…," Pikachu began.

* * *

_The night was calm. The skies were celestial. It was truly a romantic sight to see._

_Back down on the earth, two Pokémon were released into the outside of their family's house, wanting to see this majestic sight. Pikachu had escorted Espeon to the small hill with the large tree, which was a fair distance from the Ketchum residence. Being able to freely explore the wilderness that was the outside gave them back some of their great youthful years. Physical signs of aging had not affected them entirely, nor were they greatly visible. Rather, the wisdom and experience that burned within their deep eyes basically described the wildest and craziest years of their life. Being quite the gentle-Pokémon, Pikachu had offered the good spot under the tree to his date. The Sun Pokémon, graciously accepting the seat, reciprocated by giving Pikachu a cute lick on the sensitive spot on his right cheek._

"_Chah…!" Pikachu squealed, the area around his button nose blushing redder than his electric cheek pouches. The lovable stimuli had also caused Espeon to move her head to the side bashfully, her face almost as red as her forehead gem._

"_Pe-e, Esp-e," Espeon sighed. She wondered that if she truly loved the sounds and sights of the night, perhaps she was meant to evolve into an Umbreon instead. She chose to become an Espeon because she loved frolicking in the flower fields in the summer sun with Anabel at such an innocent stage of her life, before she was recruited by Scott for his Battle Frontier challenge and before she had to settle down permanently near Tohjo Falls. Those were her happiest years, as far as Espeon could remember when she was once a playful little Eevee. She still could not believe how Anabel was a psychic prodigy at the age of thirteen, even surpassing Lucian when he officially became a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four at the age of sixteen._

"_Pi-ka, Pika Pikachu-chu," Pikachu replied. A peaceful night like this was just so relaxing. It was natural for all living beings, including ones who mostly favor the light, to enjoy the downtime and rest. This kind of darkness, where the moon and the stars illuminated the night sky, gave the impression of the dream world merging with the physical world; such fantasies coming to life before their eyes, exceeding far beyond the realms of mortal limitation. It was all surreal._

"_Esp, Espeon Esp." Espeon understood. To have the ability to dream, to fantasize all wonderful and cherished things was truly a quality, almost a goal, that both human and Pokémon shared together. _

_The Pokémon couple could listen to the alluring, combined melodies of the wild nocturnal Pokémon living in the far off forest by Pallet Town. Even from the distance, the melodious music of the Kricketot, the Kricketune, the Hoothoot, the Noctowl, the Chimecho, the Burmy, and even the haunting Ghost Pokémon of Gastly, Misdreavus, and Duskull could be heard as a sort of grand orchestra playing a colorful medley of the most exotic and pleasing sounds. The distance between them and the concert of the night was basically nothing, considering that the night was now their dream world._

"_Pikapi…," Pikachu mumbled, gazing up at the sky and connecting the various stars with his imagination. In the eyes of the Mouse Pokémon, a young human male was seen with a sort of small creature on his shoulder, protecting the earth's skies from evil and darkness of the unknown. _

"_Espe-e?" Espeon asked, noticing the dreamlike glance from Pikachu to the stars above. _

"_Pikachu, Pikapi Pika Pi-ka," Pikachu said, his eyes shimmering. He deeply missed his best friend, where ever he was now. The Mouse Pokémon could have only prayed for the best to happen to him. Espeon consoled, hating to see such a gloomy depression take over her sweetheart. She nuzzled her head with his, slightly licking the sensitive area around his ears just the way that tickled him._

"_Es-pe, Espeon Esp Esp-e Espeon," Espeon whispered in her licks, sharing her thoughts with the meek Mouse Pokémon, relating his sadness to that of her best friend's hidden feelings. "Espeon Es-pe. Esp Esp Espeon Es-pe Esp." Back before Lila and Leon were born, Anabel was trapped in a seemingly endless depression that nearly consumed her heart and her sanity. The madness of the war against Reverse-Cipher had taken its toll on all those who participated. Even though the side of righteousness had ultimately prevailed and the criminal organization was finally brought to a close, everyone had suffered their losses and tragic sacrifices. Even the good and the innocent received a painful wake-up slap back into the real world, no matter how strong they held onto their make-believe dreams._

_For Anabel, she had witnessed firsthand of Ash's greatest sacrifice to not only end Ardos' dark tyranny, but to save a Pokémon in need. _

_The former Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Tower knew that her Aura Guardian's motives were pure, noble, and justified; she seriously desired to see to the purification of Giratina and the reopening of the guarded grand door to its heart. However, the cost was apparently too much for even her to handle, despite her claims as the strong woman she actually was. No. She could not, nor would she ever, believe such a vicious catastrophe. Some would register her as a soldier that was greatly afflicted with post trauma stress and denial. The quiet, soft-spoken, and civil young woman, no matter how much she was ridiculed and diagnosed regularly for disorder, still kept on believing; she kept on dreaming. She was a lover by nature and a dreamer by heart. But when she was left alone, the agonizing reality started to sink in and her depression was driving her nearly to the brink of irremediable insanity. Anabel did not give up that easily, though. Many people, including some of Ash's closest friends, were confused on why Anabel still believed that Ash still existed, lost somewhere out there in the world. They were bewildered on how her mind had not snapped from the madness of her furtive depression. What was her reason for successful progress and how she not took the path of self-destruction and darkness?_

_Anabel was and had always remained untainted by men, yet she carried the greatest gift she could have wanted from Ash within her womb. If she could create a small, yet loving family with the child he gave her, then that would have given her a true reason to smile. She had the capacity to care and love the child like she did his or her heroic father. In this case, Lila and Leon were her greatest achievements in her life._

"_Pi-ka-chu," Pikachu murmured in consideration. Many of Ash's other friends had also missed him. Ranging from May, Dawn, Brock, Gary, Misty, Kenny, Zoey, and even Drew, there were many others that also shared of the mourning of their lost friend. But knowing that Ash would want them to live out the rest of their remaining lives in peace and happiness, the least that his many friends could and will do was to fulfill his last wishes. The friend, the one that had united them all together in spite of differences, truly had a huge heart of gold._

"_Peon Pe-e?" Espeon asked. Even to this day, she wondered if Pikachu had wanted to join his Trainer in his ultimate fate. The Mouse Pokémon was hesitant, only nodding yes a few seconds later after considering the possibility that he could have been with his best friend forever. However…_

"_Pika, Pika Pikachu-pi Pikachu Pikapi," Pikachu replied. If he had left with Ash at the final battle to save Giratina from the shadows, then Espeon would have been alone. Yes. Pikachu and Espeon had shared a relationship similar to that to their Trainers, but to a more delicate extent. The Sun Pokémon, though not as strong as Alakazam when it came to psychic ability, had the more reserved and serious personality. However, if something dreadful would ever happen to those close to her, Espeon would basically lose control and attack everything in sight until Anabel returned and calmed her. That was just the way she would react to such things. _

_So if Pikachu had gone with Ash to his sacrifice…_

"_Espeon Espeon!" Espeon screamed, shaking her head rigorously to erase such a thought. Pikachu inched closer to her and ease her tension by simply touching her neck. Espeon stopped and noticed the Mouse Pokémon moving closer to her._

"_Pika Pi-ka…," Pikachu said. "Pikachu… Chu! Chu!" Espeon looked at him, her eyes wide and thoughtful. _

_In many ways, Pikachu resembled Ash. He was most loyal to his friends; kind yet can be pretty dense at times. But that was to be expected from the powerful bond between a Pokémon and Trainer. Their mannerisms and quirks were so much alike in many ways. Pikachu's sensitivity to his closest friends was what reminded Espeon so much about her fun times with Anabel that seemed so long ago. It could have been said that many Pokémon were envious of his closeness with Ash, including Espeon at one time. However, that ephemeral jealously turned into motivation, enabling her to actually become closer to Anabel. For that, Espeon was always grateful to have known Pikachu. She was most appreciative on becoming close friends with him as well._

_The red gem on her forehead lit up. Espeon lifted her head up, looking around for the stimulus that activated her innate precognition. A soft night breeze flew through the outskirts of Pallet Town. It made its way to the Ketchum's backyard, caressing their fur. Espeon had noticed that the forest nearby had quieted down; the concert must have ended with a gradual silence. A strong idea had appeared in her mind now that all was calm and that she and Pikachu were finally alone. The time was exactly midnight._

"_Esp-e Espeon, Esp Esp-e Espeon Esp," Espeon suggested. Pikachu's ears went up abruptly. The Mouse Pokémon was shocked by her sudden proposal, considering the possible repercussions involved with such intimacy. It was not the most subtle moment of their lives, that much was certain. "Esp! Espeon Esp Espeon!" Espeon had reasoned on how far Ash and Anabel's relationship had gone before the former's disappearance from the face of the earth. She claimed that her proposal was excusable and natural. Pikachu, however, remained unsure seeing how he kind of mostly relied on Ash for advice and such. After all, Ash was the Trainer and Pikachu was the loyal Pokémon. That was the order of things. But now, Pikachu had to think for himself, to make decisions that Ash would approve and be proud of._

_So then, what did Pikachu have left to lose? His best friend was now gone, he settled down, he had not battled for a long time yet remained in good condition. The most damage he could do to Espeon was say "no," but Pikachu was not that kind of Pokémon. He respected many female Pokémon, some including Ambipom, Buneary, and Happiny. He surmised that this was the least he could give for Espeon helping him and Anabel in their time of need._

"_Pika," Pikachu approved, solemnly nodding. Espeon's face beamed; her smile so wide and cheery. Their mouths had joined in such a loving gesture following Pikachu's approval, sealing their personal fate together. "Pika?" Pikachu's ears went up again; at the same time, Espeon's gem lit up. The Pokémon broke away from their kiss and went on the defensive, covering each other's backs. There was an intruder within their midst._

"_Esp-e Espeon?" Espeon queried. She asked if Pikachu could identify the scent of the trespasser. Pikachu sniffed the air. Indeed he was picking up something._

"_Pika! Pika Pikachu," Pikachu responded. According to the Mouse Pokémon, the trespasser was close to them. He closed his eyes and allowed his acute hearing to take over. Espeon had also done the same to help sense the movement of the intruder. Whether the movement consisted of footsteps rushing though the grass or wings flapping in the air, the Pokémon were certain to find out. "Pika!"_

"_Shhh…"_

_The mysterious intruder appeared before either Pikachu or Espeon could have sensed his advancement. They were either losing their abilities to the sands of time or this stranger was exceptionally skilled. Whatever the reason was, he had placed his hands on both Pokémon. His appearance was masked by the darkness of the night. The moon shone down and only illuminated his silhouette, resembling a somewhat mature human male. _

"_Pika…!" Pikachu growled, agitated by the surprise, preparing to give him a powerful electrocution._

"_Esp-e! Espeon!" Espeon whispered harshly to Pikachu. If he were to zap the trespasser, then she would be shocked as well._

"_Relax, I'm not here to hurt you," the strange man spoke, his voice still sounding young and somewhat deep. There was something about his voice that verified his real benevolence. Pikachu trusted him for some reason, the static discharge from his cheeks disappearing._

"_Pe-e?" Espeon inquired._

"_Pika, Pika Pikachu Pika-Pi," Pikachu replied quietly. He did not know what it was. It was something about the mysterious man's very presence itself that calmed Pikachu from attacking. It felt so comforting, so familiar. _

"_I know what you two are about to do," the man whispered to them. "And I can guarantee that the rest of your family will be proud. I know I shouldn't have interrupted the process, but if I can, I would like to bestow upon you two a blessing."_

"_Pika?" Pikachu asked. He looked at Espeon. The Sun Pokémon nodded. She, too, looked like she trusted this stranger enough. She perceived absolutely no threat from him. The air currents would have shifted and she could have foreseen the ambush that he could have enacted, but the man did no such thing. That was reason enough for her to trust his words. "Pika…"_

"_Very well, then. I'll give you a sample of my power for you to examine for yourselves. That way, you can either go on to resume your 'activity' or you can wait for it to wear off in the morning. Oh! And if you do go through with it, you'll end up with twice of what you'll produce. The only thing is that the second product will be different, but in a good way."_

"_Pi-ka Pika Pikachu?" Pikachu queried._

"_It's something I've learned a long time ago," the man said. "You two will be fine. My blessing's work before and I can say that I was proud the moment I saw the result a few days ago. So, you guys ready to accept the blessing?" _

_Pikachu and Espeon exchanged one last glance before nodding. There was no turning back as the man's hands emanated a power of sorts from the palms. The sensation was spine-chilling at first, but it felt warm afterwards. The Pokémon's visions were clouded in a spiritual blue light as the process took on. It all felt like a dream._

_A wonderful dream come true…_

* * *

"I didn't get any of that at all," Lila said, scratching her head. It was Leon's turn to fall over in mortification; he made sure, though, that he did not land anywhere near the eggs. "What? You understood all that?"

"Of course I did. Didn't you?" Leon taunted, smirking. His sister shook her head in forfeit. "Don't worry about it, Lila. I'll tell you the story of their night out together, minus some very personal details." He looked back and winked at Pikachu and Espeon, promising not to reveal too much of their supposed intimate night together. As for the topic of the stranger, not even Leon could piece the possibilities. But it was best to leave the part of the magical trespasser aside for now, thinking that someone wandering Pallet Town at the dead of night would not be the best of news to hear in the morning.

"Really?" Lila asked, her expression looking rather hopeful. He smiled sincerely and took her inside the house, giving the Pokémon their private time.

"I might as well start before I forget," Leon stated, seeing their grandmother almost finished making breakfast for the family. "Other than my memory to worry about, we also have to continue where Mom left off in her tale. I think that sounds fair."

"Definitely!" Lila exclaimed with such fervent excitement.

* * *

**Well, I don't know what to call the fan-based romantic pairing between Ash's Pikachu and Anabel's Espeon. Seeing as both their Trainers had a shot for love in the Stardom series, why not them? All I know is that they're capable of breeding together as they are both in the Ground egg group. Also, I'm not going to answer any questions until the time comes. However, you may still feel free to post them in reviews just so I know what you're thinking about.**

**Speaking of new pairings, some of you may never believe this. While I was searching for Anabel fan art in deviantART to pass the time, I stumbled upon a picture of her **_**kissing**_** Paul. That's right. It was Anabel **_**and**_** Paul as a couple, called VioletShipping supposedly and tentatively, coming from some Italian fan fiction with the secondary pairing as PokéShipping. I then found two more pictures of Anabel and Paul with them getting married and having a family. At first, I actually laughed my head off at this supposed crack pairing. To me, it seemed similar to IkariShipping due to the fact that two people of exact opposite natures were being paired together. But then it was to each his own, I supposed. I respected that such a pairing exists, but that didn't mean I was in support of it. Man that was a strange day for me. I don't know about any of you, but that was strange.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter… and possibly what you think about my strange discovery.**

**Ciao! **


	13. Invasion, Part I

**Hmm, I guess there are worse things in the world, so to speak. Anyway, I guess it's time for me to resume the main story, the tale in other words. I'll admit, though, that I had fun writing the last chapter. But what I'm thinking about for this chapter, the many possibilities of it all, I think I'll enjoy this even more. I am greatly improving as a writer, knowing how to introduce characters and move the plot along. Thank you all…**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The morning had gone from hectic to calm in a matter of moments, within the range of the Ketchum residence's backyard at the least. After having discovered two new Pokémon eggs in the care of Pikachu and Espeon, the Ketchum family went rather overboard in expressing their grand delight that two precious family members were on the way. Anabel had gone inside to tell the rest of her friends about the great news. Delia and Mr. Mime went to make breakfast, though the house duo decided to steer clear from cooking eggs just to prevent awkward moments of silence and misunderstanding. After learning of Pikachu and Espeon's night and how they managed two eggs, Leon and Lila had left the parent Pokémon in peace in their backyard. The twins, as smart and up to date as they were, did not see the subtle connection of the creation of two eggs. The conception between the Mouse Pokémon and the Sun Pokémon, their producing two offspring instead of simply one; perhaps Anabel had not gone far in her tale as of yet. It still remained a mystery of complete speculation and fabrication.

The former Salon Maiden and loving mother was on the videophone, apparently still on a four-way conversation with May, Zoey, and Dawn. These three young women have also grown quite exceptionally as young women normally came within the decade of their last great adventure. Though these three skilled Top Coordinators have moved on from their successful years as the best of the best, they were still considered pretty much at their prime if they were sent to compete in a Contest for old time's sake. Like Anabel, they had also barely looked like they had physically aged at all, considering their mutual loss of a very close and treasured friend. Their remaining vibrant youth was still present in their faces. The screen of the videophone showed the three friends divided up even within the borders. The news of Pikachu and Espeon's new eggs have gotten around pretty quickly as all three women onscreen squealed with such gleeful expressions.

"Anabel, that's so wonderful!" May exclaimed. "It reminds me of the time I received _my_ Eevee egg. Taking care of it and seeing it hatch before your eyes are _so_ wonderful!"

"Do you think all of us can have a reunion at your house and see the eggs before both Lila and Leon leave for their journey?" Dawn asked, her eyes widening with anticipation. Anabel smiled widely and shrugged; how could she say "no" to a face like that? She still had her own strong opinions, however.

"It _would_ be the kind of excitement I haven't had in years," Anabel mused.

"But it's not going to be just us girls, right?" Zoey queried; her tone playful and hand held up. Anabel laughed weakly. "We can get everyone back together again, just like the good old days. We can even get the whole town involved so it'd be a fiesta of the lifetime!"

"Boy, you're a big idea kind-of person," Anabel commented, smiling and giggling sheepishly. Zoey easily noticed a bit of uneasiness from her part and sighed.

"Relax, Anabel. We're not going to force you to go out with some guy, even though your only form of company is Mrs. Ketchum and your kids."

"We all still know how dedicated you are to Ash," May said, her tone sympathetic.

"But it would still be awesome to have a party to celebrate your twin's coming of age!" Dawn exclaimed. "We could send Lila and Leon off in style and show the whole world that the heirs of the greatest Pokémon Master who ever lived are on their way to stardom!"

"Thank you very much, you guys, but I still want to think about it before actually hosting a party," Anabel said, involuntarily smiling out of a sensation of bashfulness in her cheeks. "Anyway, how have all of you been lately? Zoey? Anything new between you and Drew?"

"Things have never been better," Zoey replied, winking. "Yep, even you already know that Drew and I had settled in LaRousse City, which was definitely for the best. I mean, I love Snowpoint City and all, but all the white and snow gets really boring once you think about it. Plus, I could really use the excitement from the crowds at the LaRousse Battle Tower."

"Snowpoint City's a peaceful place to live in while LaRousse City's pretty much a technological tourist trap," May added, rolling her eyes as though she disapproved her life decision. "There's nothing bad about living in the snow and cold, seeing as you've turned out wonderful. Living in Snowpoint City just gives you a reason to drink hot chocolate any time you want. LaRousse City is full of blockheaded robots that take the wrong picture of you when you accidentally make a horrible, ridiculous face! And _then_, they along with their robotic facilities malfunction over the presence of one Deoxys and try to swallow you whole in their swarms and kill you!" Her time in LaRousse City was palpably not the most pleasant time of her life, considering Ash's unique luck while she still traveled with him. Not only was their arrival at LaRousse City impeccable, but witnessing a fight between a territorial Rayquaza and a lonely Deoxys searching for its lost friend definitely sent her through a loop. Her other girl friends merely stared blankly at her and how she vented steam.

"I know, but I guess I'm just that kind of city girl," Zoey said, shrugging the whole thing off. "Anyway, it's almost eight o'clock and it's my turn to watch over the flower shop while Drew teaches the LaRousse Coordinators' School next door."

"Ugh, how's that double job paying for you now that you have kids?" Dawn asked, feigning a tired expression. "It's almost been forever since we lasted talked, Zoey. For-ever!"

"You get used to it, I suppose. Every now and then, Drew and I would swap back and forth between the flower shop and the LaRousse Coordinators' School just to keep ourselves in shape. We teach and mold aspiring young Coordinators, including our kids, while at the same time provide the most beautiful flowers for any situation given, like dates, weddings, and so forth. It's really been fulfilling."

"Aah! Loïc! Rose! Be careful with that! I won that Cup with Roserade's finishing Petal Dance!" Drew's voice was heard, shouting in a sort of panic. A mild crash was heard from an outside room on Zoey's side of the videophone. "Oh, man. That was my hair-flipping hand… ow." The redhead chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"Trouble in paradise, Zoey?" Dawn asked playfully.

"I've got to get Loïc and Rose ready for class and give 'Mr. Drew' a break," Zoey sighed. "He really wants them to follow in our footsteps in becoming Top Coordinators." Loïc, the fiery eight-year old with his father's green eyes and hair, ran through the doorway behind Zoey and entered her room.

"Mom, do you think I can practice with Glameow this time?" Loïc asked. "I'm much more skilled with handling Glameow than Rose!" Zoey knelt away from the videophone and mildly ruffled his well-groomed hair.

"Just make sure that you and your six-year old sister don't give Daddy hard time and he _might_ lend you that rental Pokémon," Zoey said, smiling. Her hearing sense picked up stifled laughter from the rest of her friends from the still active four-way call. With a quiet growl, she sat back up and gave the other three women a disgruntled glare.

"Well aren't you the mother of the year," May commented; her cheeks giddy and prone to laughter.

"Yeah, yeah; I've got to go now and get the iodine for Drew's 'hair-flipping hand' again," Zoey dismissed, ignoring their responses. "Let me know if that party's going to happen!" Her section of the screen went blank the moment after Loïc was heard exclaiming "Party," allowing the remaining two sections on each active screen to enlarge until they reached the boundary directly at the middle. Anabel looked puzzled, merely brushing it off a few seconds later.

"I'm still uncertain about this whole party thing," Anabel said. "I didn't even share it with Greta and Lucy before I called the three of you."

"About the discovery of the two eggs or about the party?" May queried.

"It's just the party, May. I mean, ever since Scott broke up the Kanto Battle Frontier for the new one in Johto ten years ago, we've all gone our separate ways now. Greta's now busy running the Saffron Dojo while competing against Sabrina over dominance over Saffron City and Lucy's busy with Brock, of course. I just think that two of my closest friends won't be available."

"Oh, come on!" Dawn intervened, upset by her reasoning. "You guys were friends long before Ash came into your life. I'm sure they'll find time. Even Brock the loyal housemaid/husband would like to enjoy some down time. You're giving them not enough credit, Anabel!"

Anabel looked at Dawn's section of the screen, straight into her sapphire blue eyes. Her scolding was rather sincere despite her blunt and straightforward attitude. She did raise a good point. The moment Anabel was accepted as a Frontier Brain and became the Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Tower, Greta became her first best friend. With the help of the Arena Tycoon's tough demeanor and outgoing exterior, Anabel was able to become comfortable in many situations, even in the austere presence of Brandon the Pyramid King. Then there was the benevolent Pike Queen. Despite of her intimidating appearance and strange fondness over Pokémon with squinty eyes, Lucy acted like a sweet guide and guardian for the young Anabel, showing her how the Battle Frontier functions and what the rules of her Battle Tower worked. Pondering about it so, Anabel also figured that there would be no reason for the entire Battle Frontier members, old and new, shouldn't come over, including the retired Spencer.

"Anabel?" May asked. Her face leaned in close to the screen, enlarging the features of her eyes. From whatever distance May was at, Anabel looked like she was still in deep thought. "You okay in there?" Her lilac eyes snapped open, startling the brunette while earning a soft giggle from Dawn.

"I'll let you guys know about it tomorrow," Anabel said, a positive possibility hinted by a creeping smile from the side of her face. Her index finger touched and stroked the disconnect button, but did not press down yet, not until she was finished with her conversation. After this, there was breakfast with her small family and then back to the tale immediately. "Just keep on dating and finding the right guy for you, you two. As for me, I've got two lovely children to entertain."

* * *

"That was a well-fought battle, Nosepass," Justy said to the occupied Poké Ball in his hand. "Great job." His brief one-on-one battle with Ash and his Pikachu had ended in a draw, but that battle had explained enough of his battling and willpower prowess to the Phenac City Pre Gym Leader. Ash and his allies approached him with Pikachu back on his seat on his shoulder.

"I have to say, Justy, that you were tougher than the last few Reverse-Cipher Peons we took on several days ago," Ash said, petting Pikachu softly on the top of his head. "That was one of the toughest battles I faced so far in the Orre region."

"It's no big deal, but I must warn you though. Reverse-Cipher is pretty vengeful. They'll send out their stronger soldiers. If you continue to defy them, they'll send out one of their strongest Trainers to take you down. They are called 'Admins' and trust me, they are tough to beat with their Pokémon's brutal strengths and cunning strategies. They'll eliminate you with one strike at the critical moment you're not looking."

"That's a scary thought," Anabel said, holding her hand close to her mouth.

"The only scary thing I found in Orre was that pathetic disco idiot's afro," Paul muttered, indifferently looking away with his eyes closed.

"You must be referring to Miror B., right?" Justy queried. Paul opened an eye in response, actually showing some curiosity about the strange wanderer. "Believe it or not, Miror B. was once a Cipher Admin many years ago when Cipher and Team Snagem, as part of an alliance, dominated these barren lands, back when the first savior of Orre rose to take them down."

"Hmph, it's actually hard for _me_ to believe that clown was once part of Cipher," Paul scoffed.

"Speaking of Orre's first savior, what was he really? What became of him?" Ash queried.

"They say he was once a member of the roguish Team Snagem, a band of thieves that steal other Trainer's Pokémon with Cipher's technology," Justy explained. "That was where the first concept of the Snag Machine was invented. Since the Orre region barely has wild Pokémon roaming around its lands, the only way for Cipher to obtain Pokémon for their nefarious plot was to use Team Snagem to capture other Trainer's Pokémon for them."

"A thief with a change of heart," Anabel presumed.

"That was basically the story of his past," Justy concurred with a nod. "It was unknown how he first ended up in Team Snagem's hands, but fed up with the trouble he had caused in the organization's name he left on his own accord to right his wrongs. With the help of a young girl that can see the black aura that clouded Shadow Pokémon, he knew which Pokémon to snag and purify."

"A girl that can see black aura…," Ash repeated quietly to himself. Something about the girl stuck out to him. Ash had the urge to ask about her. "Justy, do you know what happened to the first hero and the girl after they took down Cipher the first time?" Justy closed his eyes and paced slowly.

"It's really hard for me to say, Ash. No one has heard of them since then. I can't even remember something as simple as their names and they're heroes, for goodness sake. However, I hear that the girl was related to one of the retired Trainers living in Agate Village. I haven't been paying much attention lately, but you and your friends should stop by Agate Village."

"What a coincidence," Anabel commented, clasping her hands together. "Professor Krane wanted us to go to Agate Village for a treat. Something about the Relic Stone, I believe."

"We shouldn't be wasting any more time then," Paul said; his direction turned towards the exit. "If Reverse-Cipher's as vengeful as you say, it's only a matter of time before they send another wave of pathetic Peons on our way. And I'd like my battlefield to be devoid of pathetic obstacles."

"Well…, that's one way to put it," Ash remarked, weakly chuckling.

"It's a shame you guys can't stay any longer," Justy said. "You guys are welcome to my secret training grounds below anytime. It's the least I could do for that great match. You guys are welcome back to the Pre Gym anytime you want if you want a rematch or want to explore more."

"JUSTY!"

The shattering, squeaky voice broke the tranquility of the Phenac Pre Gym. All Trainers and Pokémon covered their ears, wincing from the loud scream calling out for help. A young boy, a citizen and prossibly an apprentice of the Pre Gym, stood under the automatic doorway with the light from outside casting his shadow and his portentous silhouette around the dim entrance. The boy was frightened and gasping for breath, his skin paled and damp with profuse sweat.

"That doesn't look good," Justy muttered worriedly under his breath. He, Ash, Anabel, and Paul ran to the boy's assistance, followed by several of the Pre Gym's Trainers. "Kid, what's wrong?"

"Phenac City… under attack… invasion…," he gasped for breath, having run for his life from the impending dangers. "Colorful weirdoes… invasion… mayor about to be… hostage!" The group heard a startling crack. The terrible, abrupt noise came from Paul, who zealously cracked his knuckles.

"Finally, some real action takes place," Paul said, a dark glint sparkled within the black pupil of his eye. "It's go time." The surly Veilstone Trainer ran through the doorway past the blank group of Trainers. Ash attempted to extend a hand out to stop him, but ended in futility.

"We'd better make sure he gets the bad guys _only_," Ash said to Anabel. The couple ran out the Pre Gym in pursuit of their gruff ally with the powers over dark illusions and nightmares. The other Trainers had the involuntary urge to follow them, but they were stopped by Justy with the sway of his arm.

"No, you guys _have_ to protect the Pre Gym and make sure this kid recovers," Justy ordered. "As the Phenac Pre Gym Leader, it's my duty to ensure the safety of the city and the mayor. I'll join them."

"Good luck, Justy!" his apprentices called out, waving him out as he ran off.

Justy quickly caught sight of two figures heading south of the city. Ash and Anabel were most likely heading to where the large fountain was situated; the same fountain where the athlete and his Castform played around everyday. Ignoring the screaming and panicking civilians fleeing into their houses, Justy ran as fast as he could to join up with the rest of the heroes. Not much damage was done to the city as far as he could view, meaning the kid warned him just in time. The kid must have run all the way up the stairs from the intimidation of the invaders, which was a normal response from a scared and vulnerable child. Comfortable with the surroundings of the advanced city he called his home, Justy slid down the stone rails of the narrow stairway as a faster method to reach the lower level. It did not take the Pre Gym Leader long to catch up with Paul, Ash, and Anabel in front of the fountain with the athlete and his Pokémon hiding behind them. The kid that warned the Pre Gym was not kidding around. There were six interlopers wearing a uniform of the same design lined up together in an arch, confronting the four of them now. Each one, however, was with its own color of red, blue, green, purple, yellow, and brown.

"Let me guess… You losers are with Reverse-Cipher," Paul acknowledged, folding his arms across his chest, unimpressed. The six Peons remained silent. The Peon dressed in red, presumably the leader of them all, stepped forward and made a gesture to bring his colorful brethren in line. Ash and friends prepared for the worse, whatever Reverse-Cipher had prepared for them.

"We are sextuplets! We are! We are!" the red Reverse-Cipher Peon announced. "We strike terror throughout the land! For we are the _Hexagon Brothers_!"

" The Ω strikes again!" his five teammates declared, all members making different martial arts poses. The red Peon faced his brothers and signaled them to the second portion of their introduction to the youth before them.

"Sound off!"

"One!" the blue Peon exclaimed, forming a different pose.

"Two!" the brown Peon yelled, following suit.

"Three!" the yellow Peon bellowed with such excitement.

"Four!" the purple Peon hissed.

"Five! The green Peon shouted, raising a fist high in the air. The second following the green Peon's shout was empty and blank. The moment was nothing more than an awkward silence for the team. That was until the red Peon spoke out in outrage, until his face was as red as his bright scarlet uniform.

"How many times have we been over this?!" he interrogated his brothers. "What happened to number six? Huh? Huh?! Where's number six? Start over! Greesix Ω, start us off!"

"Uh, right away, Resix Ω," Greesix Ω mumbled. "Sound off…!"

The order had reversed with the purple Peon sounding off first this time. He was followed by the yellow Peon, and so on, and so on until Resix Ω called out the number five. Again, the reunited Hexagon Brothers Ω went into another squabble about the flaw in their motto. The bizarre act of the Hexagon Brothers Ω had left their enemies speechless once again, at least for the foreigners. Justy was perhaps the only one who took the evil sextuplets seriously, considering his past with them. Though it appeared that they showed up without an Admin like Snattle accompanying them like last time, the Hexagon Brothers Ω was still on Justy's top priority nonetheless. What Ash, Anabel, and Paul don't know might cost them gravely.

_Déjà vu with this villain motto thing_, Ash thought, lightly scratching the back of his head.

_Is this the best Reverse-Cipher sends us? Pathetic…_, Paul thought; a scowl increasing in fury ever present on his tan face.

_These villains are definitely worse than Team Rocket_, Anabel thought, rubbing her temples to ease her slight annoyance.

"Enough!" Justy shouted, nearly losing his cool. All eyes fell on the distraught Pre Gym Leader, who merely pointed at the Hexagon Brothers Ω threateningly. "I don't know why you guys are back, but Phenac City is _not_ going to fall under your control again. Not as long as I'm still here!" Resix Ω began to chuckle at his outburst of anger, clapping his hands slowly just to show some respect towards the same defiance he displayed long ago. The other Hexagon Brothers Ω had also joined in the laughter, provoking Ash and his two allies to step forth in their way to protect Justy.

"Ah, Justy, you simple-minded pretty boy," Resix Ω taunted, his slow applause coming to an end. "It's not your precious Phenac City Reverse-Cipher is after, hot-blooded fool. Not _yet_ at least."

"What?" Justy grunted in shock.

"You give us too much credit just because we managed to trap you and the citizens in your Pre Gym's basement those years ago. Not only that, but my brothers and I even disguised ourselves as _you_ to mess with that redhead's rescue operation to free the town from Snattle's control. If it wasn't for Michael, the Orre region would have been under Cipher's dominion for a long time to come."

"If Phenac City's not the reason why you came back here, then what are you doing causing havoc?" Justy asked, calmly. Resix Ω grinned rather viciously, directly pointing at the trio of young outsiders.

"Them," Resix Ω stated coolly. His declaration had only made the three of them tense, ready to fight back at the slightest provocation. "You see, Reverse-Cipher's taken a liking to you three do-gooders, seeing as how you stopped Naps and his men from ransacking Krane's laboratory. So we're here to capture you for your terms of surrender."

"Like hell, you are!" Paul bellowed, casting a Poké Ball coated with a burning black and crimson flame in his hand.

"No one said this was really going to be easy. The only reason we attacked Phenac City was to flush you three brats out of hiding and we'd deal with you ourselves personally. If you refuse to surrender to us, however…"

"What?!" Ash shouted.

"I'm afraid we'll have to take your mayor as compensation instead," Resix Ω replied, a confident smirk present on his face. His answer had greatly appalled the young heroes, seeing how the Reverse-Cipher organization was totally without mercy at all. Resix Ω and the rest of his brothers were apparently satisfied with their reactions, taking a moment to drink from their success of instilling disorder into the city as a side mission. The red leader snapped his fingers, to which the purple Peon aptly named Purpsix Ω stood forward, threw a Poké Ball into the air, and called forth a Pokémon to aid in their twisted scheme. Ash's aura sense immediately picked up the presence of the dark aura engulfing the summoned Pokémon.

"Swalot, use Poison Gas!"

"Swalot!" the Poison Bag Pokémon exclaimed. "Swa-looooot!" Swallow took a deep breath and released a thick, toxic smoke from its mouth and shrouded the four youth. Ash and the others quickly held in their breath and covered their mouths and noses to prevent poison from entering into their vulnerable systems. The Hexagon Brothers Ω used the opportunity to escape from their sights, leaving them in quite a befuddled state.

"… Ash," Anabel coughed, quickly covering her mouth as the poisonous mist continued to plague them.

"I'm on it," Ash said, his speech muffled by his arm. He used his free arm to grab the Poké Ball containing the Pokémon most useful for their bothersome situation from his belt and immediately mobilized it into action. "Pidgeot, I choose you!"

"Pi-geot!" Pidgeot shrilled, emerging into action for the first time in months. Having found its way back to Ash ever since the first incident with the ShadowPokérus-infected Spearow, the Bird Pokémon felt a sort of relief that Ash had finally found his way back for it, more or less. It glared upon the toxic cloud shrouding four people below. "Pi-geo…?"

"Pidgeot…, ugh, use Gust to blow the Poison Gas away!"

"Pi-geo," Pidgeot mumbled in its beck. A second after, it sent a powerful gust of wind from one might flap of its wings, quickly and easily eliminating the Poison Gas cloud. The four young humans and Pikachu were free to breath in fresh air.

"Thanks, Pidgeot!" Ash exclaimed. Pidgeot made no response to his gratitude aside from looking down at him with an unreadable look in its eyes. Pidgeot's somewhat peculiar behavior had Anabel concerned, having picked it up before anyone else. But ever the polite young woman she was, she kept the observation to herself unless things with the Bird Pokémon would get out of hand. She prayed that nothing of the sort would ever happen.

"Where are the Hexagon Brothers Ω?" Justy inquired, bringing the main objective back on hand. Ash, Anabel, Paul, and Pikachu searched in different directions altogether from their spot until a cry from a civilian alerted them to the scene. The athlete with the Castform was cornered by Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω at the southern exit, apparently frightened along with the cowering civilians in hiding.

"They obviously searching for your mayor," Paul said. "How hard could it be to find him when he stays at his house most of the time?"

"It's not just finding the mayor, Paul," Ash reasoned. "The Hexagon Brothers Ω are forcing our hands. They're trying to get us to surrender by attacking the city and holding the mayor in hostage."

"Hmph, but knowing cowardly scum like them, they won't be true to their word if we _actually_ give ourselves up. They'll just keep ravaging Phenac City in the name of their pathetic criminal organization until there's no resistance left and their pathetic disease spreads elsewhere."

"He's right, I'm afraid," Justy agreed hesitantly. "We've got to get to the mayor before any of the Hexagon Brothers Ω could capture him as their hostage."

"How about we just pick them off one by one?" Paul suggested bluntly.

Before anyone could have argued with him about his aggressive plan, the dark Veilstone Trainer ran off to the south exit to challenge the pair of Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω. Paul had left the remaining three puzzled and somewhat frustrated due to his abrasive decisions. But then again, fighting back was better than simply doing nothing, especially considering the circumstances of the entire situation. The Hexagon Brothers Ω had promised to be as ruthless as possible in their assigned invasion, making sure that no civilian would walk away unharmed and unscathed from the experience. That was simply reason enough to fight them out of Phenac City before harm could befall the innocent.

"With Paul taking on those Reverse-Cipher Peons at that exit, I believe it would be best if we covered the other exits to make sure they don't escape Phenac City with the mayor or anyone else," Anabel recommended. "Ash, I'll cover the eastern exit while you head to the mayor's house and the western exit."

"Sounds like a good plan, Anabel," Ash said, pumping a fist up to his chest. "We'll stop their invasion and make them leave Phenac City for good. Good luck, Anabel." The Salon Maiden smiled and nodded, giving him a quick kiss on his soft lips for luck, much to Ash's surprise and eventual relief. Enjoying the warmth for just a moment, Anabel ran ahead up the stairs with Ash watching from the base. However, just before he could ascend the stairs as well, Justy grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

"Wait, Ash. Let me help you," Justy offered. Both Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks before looking back at him. "Listen to me, please. Phenac City is my home and I refuse to let any misfortune strike it down without me fighting back."

"Okay, I hear you."

"So please, let me help you out this one time," Justy begged, bowing his head in an earnest manner. Ash merely looked at him and his humble plea.

"Well, I guess there would be no harm done," Ash mused, a gracious grin forming on his face. Pikachu gave his consent of approval for Justy joining them as well with a cry of delight. "You're on, Justy. Let's get going!"

* * *

"Hey! You two with the ridiculous uniforms, over here," Paul demanded. His callous insult, as expected, warranted aggression on both the parts of Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω. The athlete managed to flee with Castform in his arms into a proper hiding spot, allowing the fearsome and mysterious stranger to take care of his intimidators.

"So, kid, have you decided to give yourselves up?" Browsix Ω asked, his tone unnecessarily cocky.

"On the contrary, I'm giving you losers just one warning before I really lose my patience," Paul replied coolly. To show that he meant business, he prepared and enlarged two Poké Balls in his hand, ready to be thrown. Browsix Ω and Yellosix Ω acknowledged his invitation to a standoff, clutching their individual Poké Balls as well. However, they still believed his power was a bluff, a ruse used to irritate them.

"With the two of us against one of you, you won't stand a chance, you brat!" Yellosix Ω declared. "It will only take each of our single, ShadowPokérus-infected Shadow Pokémon to send you spinning back to the nursery!"

"I dare you," Paul urged in a cold whisper, his glowering eyes briefly glowing icy blue.

* * *

"Stop this madness! I beg of you!" Anabel pleaded as seriously as she did. The Reverse-Cipher Peons she had encountered near the eastern exit, searching for the mayor while causing more havoc towards the Phenac City bystanders, were Purpsix Ω and Greesix Ω. The townspeople they were terrorizing quickly ran away upon the distraction of the beautiful Salon Maiden entering the scene. At first, the two Peons perceived that someone of a threatening level had demanded them to stop. Seeing Anabel's dainty and somewhat frail appearance changed their minds.

"Beat it, little boy, unless you want to end up as many disfigured pieces!" Purpsix Ω hissed, attempting a weak intimidating pose of a venomous snake with fangs. The expression on Anabel's pale face faltered for a second, quickly tensing and transforming from grief to resentment in a matter of moments. The transition of emotions even startled the two Peons. In a way, they had broke the straw on the Camerupt's back upon mistaking Anabel for a boy in addition to the harm they brought to the civilians of Phenac City.

"It's one thing harassing the innocent townsfolk of Phenac City, but you villains would dare call me a _boy_?! Reverse-Cipher is _so_ unforgivable!"

"It's not like we're begging for repentance, _princess_," Purpsix Ω retorted with the correction of her gender as a woman.

"Yeah! Do you see us on our knees praying for mercy to an imaginary deity or something?" Greesix Ω jested. "I think not! So, are you going to skip along now or do we have to get rough with you?"

"I'm not like all girls," Anabel said, enlarging a Poké Ball in each hand. "Sure we have certain similarities like kindness and proper etiquette, but you'll see what makes me so different, so special. I'm very close to Pokémon and to nature, closer than anyone could ever try to be. It's really thanks to all of my friends that I've gotten this far in life. And I'm not afraid to get dirty if Ash isn't."

"Then we'll put you back the place where you truly belong, little girl!" Purpsix Ω spat; his Poké Ball raised high in the air. Greesix Ω had also brought out his chosen and only Poké Ball, spinning it on his finger like a big shot.

"I know who I am…," Anabel replied genteelly, a soft, yet confident smile marking her face. "I am the Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower… and foremost, Ash Ketchum's loving girlfriend!"

* * *

"There they are!" Ash pointed out.

He and Justy had discovered Resix Ω and the blue Reverse-Cipher Peon, Blusix Ω, forcing the mayor out of his home. The damage around the western area of Phenac City was strangely discovered to be at a minimum. Seeing that the pair of Hexagon Brothers Ω had succeeded in taking the mayor in as their hostage without a struggle, Justy quickly intervened by blocking the western exit. Ash and Pikachu had also taken the initiative by blocking the other route from the mayor's house. Both of the Hexagon Brothers Ω exchanged glances, shrugging indifferently at their achieved mutual decision before tossing the mayor aside under their watchful, livid eyes.

"So you brats really want to do this the _hard way_, correct?" Resix Ω clarified. The leader did not need another hint to know that they were serious in challenging him to a battle.

"We're not going to let Reverse-Cipher get away with this!" Ash proclaimed, declaring his challenge by pointing at the Reverse-Cipher Peon pair zealously. Pikachu agreed with his sentiments with a heated shout of his own, jumping off Ash's shoulder and landing next to him with discharging red cheeks.

"Make it a tag battle," Justy intervened, flicking an inactive Poké Ball in his hand. "I'm not letting you and your brothers defile my hometown ever again. The sooner Ash and his friends eliminate Reverse-Cipher and free Giratina, the better."

"You're on, brats!" Blusix Ω exclaimed, stepping in beside his leader with a Poké Ball ready to throw on hand.

"I have to agree with my blue comrade, though," Resix Ω said in the quiet before the storm. Ash and Justy listened to his oncoming words intently for possible hidden clues and cryptic messages. "The Hexagon Brothers have been summoned back to this world through the power of Ω. Still confused? It's a new battle formation shared by all six brothers with the power of the ShadowPokérus on our side, to be used in _any_ battle situation. From Single, Double, or Tag Battles, _Omega Formation_ will end your careers as Pokémon Trainers… for good!"

"Enough talk!" Justy interrupted, clutching his Poké Ball close to his chest. "Shall we begin…? Ash, you have the first move!"

"Right! Pidgeot, I choose you!"

"Sandslash, let's go!"

"Houndoom, go!"

"Walrein, go!"

"Alakazam and Gallade… help me, my friends!"

"Shiftry, go!"

"Swalot, go!"

"Electivire and Magmortar, stand by for battle!"

"Ampharos, go!"

"Claydol, go!"

Precisely all at once, around the walled vicinity and flourishing water fountains of Phenac City, twelve Pokémon were released from the bright flashes of their individual spherical containment units. Six of the Pokémon were infected with the dangerous ShadowPokérus. The other six Pokémon were empowered by the will and determination of their Trainers. The great battle, or simultaneous battles, for the liberation of Phenac City and its mayor was finally on, the invaders from the shadowy Reverse-Cipher against the young defenders of nature and balance.

* * *

**It's been a long time since I had a section divided into two parts or more. I never thought I would actually get to this part, but time passes by very quickly without anyone's notice. I guess, in my mind, I'm already reaching the end of the sequel. My ideas have formed together and make a great story, but time after time, new and better ones come into play and weave into the plot. But so far, I'm very impressed with the progress of the whole thing.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	14. Invasion, Part II

**I'm glad to see that a lot more people are coming together and reading my story. As a writer, it kind of makes me feel proud to entertain you all with my unique style of diction. Anyway, I wish I had more free time and I could already post the good parts, but I digress. To make things easier with managing the battles, I've focused on each one until its end instead of switching back and forth. It would get confusing, and no, I'm not lazy. You should just imagine all of them taking place at the same time and read it for yourselves. =P**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The whole vicinity of Phenac City was at a chaotic and restless standstill. It was simple as day and night. There were two opposing sides, two great forces that were determined to take the other down. There was the side of shadows, of destruction, of senseless mayhem. The side of evil that had taken siege of the fair replenishing city was represented by six colorful brothers, given the direct task from their superiors of the Reverse-Cipher organization of luring the heroes out into the open and to eliminate them. The three heroes, young and bold, represented the side of righteousness and the balance of nature in this battle. Accompanied by an ally that greatly loved his home town enough to defend it from any disaster, the four youth fought back against the Hexagon Brothers Ω in separate battles of three that took place at far, separate locations within the walled radius of the city. The conventional match-ups went along the lines as this as events played their part in the searing desert sands of time.

The first battle to commence in actuality was between the stoic antihero of calm darkness against the sinister pair of electricity and telekinesis. The second one to join simultaneously had erupted between a fair, empathetic maiden and the bewildering pair of nature's grass and pollution's poison. Finally, there came the battle between leaders. In this third battle, two pairs faced off in a predicted, but powerful standoff. The valiant young hero of aura, allied with the local tough guy, against the fiercesome duo of fire and water. With these three simultaneous standoffs set off synchronously upon the release of Pokémon into battle, there was really no telling what could happen, considering that these miniature wars were among innocent townspeople in hiding. But one that had represented the good side could really care less about them.

"It's time for the action to start," Paul announced, cracking his knuckles rather grotesquely enough for Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω to twitch in disgust. His decision to go with Electivire and Magmortar would send the opponents he dubbed as colorful clowns running back to home base. "Now! Electivire, use Thunder! Magmortar, Flamethrower! Go!"

Both of Paul's Pokémon roared with ferocity as they quickly prepared their vicious elemental attacks. Electivire made the first move by critically frying Yellosix Ω's Shadow Ampharos with its powerful electricity. Despite the type disadvantage of pitting electricity against electricity, the expression on Ampharos' face displayed the amount of pain it received from the Thunder. Magmortar had swapped places with its burly yellow partner, but instead of teaming up on Ampharos, the Blast Pokémon was directed to aim and fire at Claydol. The stream of fire emitted from its right arm cannon was nearly halfway towards its target.

"We're not going to let you get the drop on us again like that!" Browsix Ω shouted heatedly. "Claydol, use Shadow Shield!"

"Dol!" Claydol bellowed. Its hideously black aura condensed from its body and took form around its body like a purple cube or sorts. The Flamethrower collided against the sinister cube, but instead of penetrating through it, the Fire attack had split into five little streams burning uselessly at the sides.

"I've never heard of _that_ Shadow move before," Paul remarked, tightening both of his fists in frustration. He heard both Peons snicker snidely.

"Maybe you're not a _total_ stranger to Shadow Pokémon after all, brat," Yellosix Ω said. "You see the kind of power Reverse-Cipher can offer you, if you join us instead?"

"Become a cowardly puppet in exchange for artificial ultimate power from an artificial virus?" Paul retorted in the same persuading, albeit condescending tone. His piercing black eyes narrowed as a vicious scowl unfurled upon his stone-cold lips. "I would sooner kiss Anabel's _feet_ than join you pathetic creatures! Magmortar, use Flamethrower on Ampharos this time!"

"Quite a pity," Browsix Ω sighed, frowning. "Claydol, stop them with Shadow Wave!"

"Maaaaag-mor!" Magmortar roared, switching arm cannons by retracting the claws in its left arm and preparing a blazing Flamethrower for the lone Light Pokémon. At the same time, Claydol pulsed two shadowy waves from the tips of its hands. They seemed to have honed in onto its opponents as they slithered relentlessly towards Magmortar and Electivire. Before the Blast Pokémon had even noticed, Electivire acted on its own accord and sent a phenomenal Thunder attack to sear and disintegrate the Shadow Wave attack. Paul noticed, and acknowledged it with a slight nod of approval. With that obstacle out of the way, Magmortar continued its wild Flamethrower assault. It formed its plump pink lips into a smirk, expecting a scorching hit this time. What the Blast Pokémon did not envisage was that a black-purple cube had shielded the Shadow Ampharos despite no commands being called from the two Hexagon Brothers Ω. The same result took place with Flamethrower bouncing off the shimmering black cube with no harm done to Ampharos. It only took a second for Paul to register the total effects of the new move called Shadow Shield.

"So _that's_ its corruption," Paul muttered darkly, his sights returning to commanding his Pokémon. "In that case… Magmortar, Smog! Electivire, use Light Screen!"

His Pokémon grunted gruffly upon the issued command like an organized militia. Magmortar leapt forward in front of its Electric-type counterpart, exhaling a thick lavender smoke from its mouth. The toxic Smog had given them cover while keeping the Shadow Pokémon on their cautious heels. With the Light Screen in play, both of Paul's Pokémon were protected from their own toxic trap, breathing in the fresh air of a merciless victory rather than foolish poison. The lavender cloud had spread across Paul's entire side of the field. Nearby civilians had to beware that the poison did not invade their hiding spots. Both Ampharos and Claydol growled at the development, itching to just dive into the poisonous cloud and rip those two arrogant Pokémon apart with their Shadow abilities. Rabid tendencies would often take place within the minds of Pokémon infected with the tampered ShadowPokérus.

"We better tell them something to do, brother," Yellosix Ω advised, wary of the possible bloody mutiny if their Pokémon do not get to their prey's blood.

"Otherwise they'd enter Reverse Mode and be unstoppable," Browsix Ω acknowledged with the same tone of apprehension. "You go first." His yellow-clad comrade of electricity's shadow gave him a glare of incredulous astonishment.

"Fine… I suppose," he hissed in reluctance, turning his head towards his snarling Light Pokémon. "Ampharos, get in there with Shadow Blitz! Flush one of them out!"

"Ampho!" Ampharos shouted to the sky, igniting its now visible black aura. It dove straight into the Smog cloud; its shadow silhouette disappeared as it went in deeper. Bright purple energy had discharged from its body. Ampharos was poisoned by the Smog, but it couldn't care less. It was determined to teach either Electivire or Magmortar a lesson in pain.

"Brick Break! Go!"

"Electi-vire!" Electivire's grizzly roar exclaimed. Ampharos' ears had picked up the direction of where the grunt came from, but it was too little too late. A glowing white fist came down overhead, warranting the protection of Shadow Shield to come forth. Electivire's fist slammed upon the cubical shield with a vibrating impact. At first, the Brick Break looked like it did nothing aside from giving Ampharos quite a tremor. "Vire…" Electivire smirked, feeling the effects of its burly attack taking place. A crunching sound emanated from the Shadow Shield; it started to crack apart with the cracks radiating a luminescent white. Electivire brought its whole fist through and created quite a dent on Ampharos' cranium with its smashing blow.

"Hmph, I knew it," Paul sneered; the Reverse-Cipher Peons taken aback by his calculating observations. "That Shadow Shield of yours is nothing but a cheap knock-off of the moves, Reflect and Light Screen. So instead of just waiting for those annoying, but beneficial effects to wear off, I was smart to immediately use Electivire's Brick Break to destroy one…" Both Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω gritted their bare teeth at the arrogant, purple-haired git smirking at their frustration. "And now, I'm going to do us all a favor and destroy the other. Electivire, Brick Break on Claydol! Now!"

"Electivire!" Electivire grunted, stomping forth at an incredible pace out of its partner's Smog cover. The Thunderbolt Pokémon leapt out of the poisonous cloud with stunning finesse, raising its fist high over its head again. Its next target was the agitated Claydol glaring at it with several of its eyes. Electivire grinned fervently, swinging its glowing arm right on the top of Claydol just when the Shadow Shield appeared. All of the Clay Doll Pokémon's eyes shot open widely at the vibrating impact.

"Hmph…," Paul exhaled, keeping the same emotionless expression on his face and his arms folded across his chest. _Play time ends here. _A mysterious force flowed around his body. The thickening dusk air and frigid winds took the form of the legendary Pitch-Black Pokémon; its ragged, flowing outline had fitted Paul's ominous form perfectly. The yellow and brown Hexagon Brothers Ω pair grew even more suspicious of their powerful opponent. Cold winds had started to gather around from different directions, all heading into the same person manipulating them. The winds even blew away Magmortar's Smog. It was then that Paul's fierce eyes flashed icy blue and his purple hair flowed upwards like a wisp of smoke.

"What's going on with this brat?!" Browsix Ω demanded, feeling goose bumps erupt under his elite brown uniform. "Is he hiding more tricks in those black and blue sleeves of his?" He turned towards his partner, who could only watch the only action taking place in the battlefield. Electivire still had its white-glowing fist on Claydol's crumbling Shadow Shield. The Thunderbolt Pokémon had not completed its Brick Break.

"Electivire, _finish_ it!" Paul commanded in a brusque, otherworldly voice. He extended his right arm forward, casting a black and crimson glow from the palm of his rough hand. The glow had reached Electivire, whose crushing fist had gained the same dark glow as Paul's hand. The Peons were now afraid of what this side effect would have.

"You idiot!" Browsix Ω shouted at his yellow comrade. "Stop Electivire before it's too late! Save my Claydol, for crying out loud!"

"Huh…?! Oh, right," Yellosix Ω mumbled absentmindedly. "Uh… Ampharos, use Thunder?"

"_No_!"

"Oops…?"

"Am-phoooooh!" Ampharos shouted, having heard the command and unleashed the massive bolt of electricity from its red gem. Unlike its commander, the Shadow Pokémon did not hesitate on attacking with the assigned move. It only proved Yellosix Ω's folly as the Thunder struck Electivire head on and had no effect; well, no negative effect at least. The Electric attack instead had energized the Thunderbolt Pokémon, who quickly commenced with its black, red, and white Brick Break. Its large fist connected with the top of Claydol's head immediately after smashing through the Shadow Shield; the energies that were stored within its fist caused a grand explosion.

"Vire…," Electivire growled, smirking. Having felt the first wave of weaker shockwaves with the bristles of its fur, Electivire quickly fled with the use of its newly acquired speed boost from Motor Drive, its only special ability. It took its place beside Magmortar and in front of its ominous Trainer. The smoke drifted away after a few seconds, revealing the Clay Doll Pokémon to still be hovering in mid air as it originally was.

"Ha! Your attack did _nothing_!" Browsix Ω boasted. He did not notice that Paul was smirking at his idiotic and absolutely foolish display of superciliousness. Things were not what they seemed.

"I recommend that you look _closer_ at your Claydol," Paul advised in his dark, distorted voice; the leer of his eyes was as cold as pitch darkness. The brown Reverse-Cipher Peon had stopped dancing in a boastful, celebratory fashion and carefully approached his Psychic Shadow Pokémon.

"Uh, Claydol?" he asked. Claydol had collapsed up its name, giving Browsix Ω the shock of his life. From the look of its many eyes, they were tightly shut and twitching as though it was in pain. Its eyes remained closed, unaware of its outside environment. Browsix Ω was gathering his breath in horror, stepping back quickly and resuming his spot next to Yellosix Ω. "W-What did your Electivire d-d-do to my Claydol?!"

"Screw his Electivire!" Yellosix Ω intervened abruptly, pointing accusatorily at Paul. "What did _you_ do to his Claydol?!" The young Trainer had his usual apathetic expression carved on his stony face. His eyes flashed icy blue. His purple hair and parts of his loose apparel were floating and held up by some mysterious power. He gave a rough grunt and closed his eyes before continuing.

"It's actually quite simple, simple enough for even _you_ to understand," Paul started; the nightmarish edge in his voice was intimidating as ever. He stepped forward at a haunting pace, slowly approaching the two Hexagon Brothers Ω with murderous intent. "Let's just say I've developed and mastered a talent that perfectly suits me… a talent that a powerful, should I say, _legendary_ Pokémon has chosen to share with me… just to fulfill one… simple… purpose."

"A-And that would be…?!" the Peons inquired fearfully, cowering together. The darkness within Paul was also smirking at their pitiful, pathetic faces.

"Claydol's having a bad dream," Paul stated it as it was; curt, yet eloquent. "It's as simple… as that." The two Hexagon Brothers Ω exchanged frightened glances before conversing secretly while all the more their young executioner was on his way taking his time to make sure every last second was torturous with maddening suspense.

"Bad dream… legendary Pokémon… that black and red glow… there's only one conclusion I can get to," Yellosix Ω explained. Browsix Ω's jaw fell agape and his eyes widened behind the opaque helmet visor.

"You don't mean…?" Browsix Ω responded, falling at a loss of words due to their dire situation. His yellow brother shook his head furiously and smacked him upside the head to return to his senses. They were part of Reverse-Cipher, an unstoppable criminal organization with the power of Shadow Pokémon by their sides. They were not about to let some possessed kid frightened them beyond their wits.

"Regardless!" Yellosix Ω shouted, standing back up to face the symbiotic container of the legendary Darkrai. "I least I won't have a problem attacking _this_ brat directly! Ampharos, stop that kid with Thunder!"

"Big mistake!" Darkrai-Paul growled, narrowing his icy blue eyes in the direction of Shadow Ampharos. The moment the Light Pokémon unleashed another massive Thunder attack at the human this time, Darkrai-Paul formed a shapeless blob of black and blood red energy to intercept the Electric attack. The void was forcibly consuming the thousands of volts Ampharos was discharging from its gem. The Light Pokémon was groaning in pain from the black-hole suction of its energy. Soon enough though, Ampharos gave up what little energy it had left and collapsed into a dusty mess, breathing vigorously through its mouth just to live.

"A-Ampharos…!" Yellosix Ω cried in a helpless whine. He and his partner were truly outmatched with this particular Trainer. If he was _this_ tough, there was no telling what the strengths of the other two outsiders were capable of. If they were as vicious and brutal as Paul was in battle, then there was no way that the Hexagon Brothers Ω could live long enough to see the day Ardos and Reverse-Cipher would conquer all. So much for the Omega Formation…

Paul was closing the distance between him and the cowering Peons. The mysterious powers of Darkrai continued to actively circulate around his body.

"Electivire, use Light Screen on _all _of us… Magmortar, shroud us _all_ with Lava Plume…"

Within the skip of the Peons' heartbeats upon his commands, both Pokémon had engaged in their tasks. Electivire and Magmortar were aware of their Trainer's plans and thought it best to follow them through, just so that they would not risk facing his wrath at another time and place. Electivire had created cubical barriers as golden as most of its fur for itself, Magmortar, Paul, and even the two Hexagon Brothers Ω with their drained Shadow Pokémon. Magmortar had shrouded their entire area with hot, gaseous magma and a drastic temperature increase. The Phenac City townspeople hiding around the area had quickly fled even further from the area when Magmortar's Smog scared them off. By then, Paul stood darkly in front of Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω, glaring at them with hateful, icy blue eyes.

"W-What are you going to do us?" Yellosix Ω asked, trembling in fear on the ground.

"You can't hurt us with your special attacks with Electivire's Light Screen protecting _us_ too!" Browsix Ω declared, hoping to throw a wrench in the cold Trainer's plan. Paul could only smirk and rasp a demonic growl from his throat as he gingerly stepped forward. The two Peons stumbled back, backing into the city's wall with no way out. The Lava Plume had masked their movements from everyone else while also making sure outsiders of their finishing battle stayed out until it was over.

"I never said I was going to… _attack_," Darkrai-Paul said, cracking the knuckles on both hands and producing two black and scarlet spherical voids in each hand. "I'm just going to _teach you cowards a lesson_…" Both Yellosix Ω and Browsix Ω howled in atrocious fear, attempting to claw their way out through the wall by either successfully climbing it or cutting right through it with their gloved fingers.

"W-Who… _What_ are you?!" they demanded in hysterical tones.

"I'm your worst nightmare…"

* * *

"Now just because I'm a girl doesn't mean you should go easy on these two," Anabel advised, presenting her hands in the directions of her Alakazam and Gallade. Greesix Ω and Purpsix Ω briefly glanced at each other and nodded with absolute agreement; their sentiments exactly, especially considering that their Shadow Pokémon would easily abide by that promise.

"Don't worry yourself, princess," Purpsix Ω hissed. "We make no exceptions with anyone, male or female." He felt a nudge of uncertainty on the side of his rib, courtesy of his green comrade's shifting elbow.

"Uh, are you sure we're dealing with a _girl_?" Greesix Ω asked, scratching the back of his head. He listened to the purple Reverse-Cipher Peon grumbling and swearing incoherently to himself whilst shaking his head in disgust.

"We've been over this already, man. _She_ even threw quite a fit when we made that mistake on top of us terrorizing the stupid Phenac civilians to find the mayor. Anyway, I'm sure Resix Ω and Blusix Ω must have found him by now so we are free to—."

Purpsix Ω's explanation was abruptly interrupted, discovering that his Swalot and Greesix Ω's Shiftry were quickly thrown aside, their bodies dragging along the stone pavement from the impact of their opponents' attacks. Alakazam and Gallade stood in their spots, glaring at the bumbling duo for their lack of attention and incompetence in battle. The Psychic Pokémon stood erect, shaking their heads slowly in disapproval. Purpsix Ω looked pasted the Psychic duo, discovering Anabel grinning rather cheekily at the supposed sneak attack.

"Hey! We weren't ready! Cheating little boy!" Greesix Ω complained, shaking a fist in the air.

"Technically, the battle has started a while ago," Anabel reasoned, wagging her finger like a young teacher to a mischievous kindergartener. "If you still aren't ready by now, then it's not really _my_ problem. If you guys are as bad as you say, you should have been _paying attention_… Alakazam and Gallade, go!"

"_As you command, milady_," the deep telepathic voice of the scarred Gallade replied, accompanied by an affirmative grunt from Alakazam. Both Pokémon dashed forward to their predetermined foe; Alakazam for Swalot and Gallade for Shiftry. At least in this format, Anabel would not only have the telepathic advantage, but she would also have a type advantage over her villainous opponents.

"Not this time!" Purpsix Ω bellowed. "Swalot, use Shadow Dome!"

"What…?" Anabel mumbled, bewildered by the name of the attack. She had never heard of such an attack, so in any case, this was one of those Shadow moves Ash warned her about. They were precarious moves that only Shadow Pokémon knew. Shadow moves, like regular moves, would range from the categories of physical, special, and other; they were not effective against fellow Shadow Pokémon, but to regular, healthy Pokémon, they can be pretty devastating. With the ShadowPokérus in their control, Reverse-Cipher has given Shadow Pokémon a more dangerous edge to their dark appeal. _Alakazam, be careful!_

The Salon Maiden observed Swalot quite carefully. Due to her empathetic abilities, she could see the suffering anguish that had tormented the Shadow Pokémon in the form of a black aura engulfing their bodies. In a way, she could also see their black aura like her dear lover, but to a much lesser extent. The Poison Bag Pokémon's black aura started to act out on its own, through her eyes. It must have been the shadow command Purpsix Ω issued out in defense. A sinister purple-black bubble had formed around Swalot's large body. Alakazam had been gliding from a huge leap towards Swalot, astonished by the discovery of the vibrant black bubble. Despite trying to remain calm, the Psi Pokémon stared wide-eyed as it flew right into Swalot's bubble. Anabel had cringed from watching the action, opening an eye a moment later to see that her friend merely bounced off Swalot's bubble.

"Surprised, right?" Purpsix Ω inquired, folding his arms across his chest in a smug fashion. "Shadow Dome's pretty much the ultimate defense. No attack can get pass it, and I do mean _no attack_." Something about what the purple Reverse-Cipher Peon just did not seem right to Anabel. A small detail was all she needed. She was brilliant enough to deduce the rest with just one clue.

_Ultimate defense…? Where have I heard that one before?_ Anabel mused, gripping her small chin. Her eyes scanned over the battlefield, from Alakazam sitting on the ground and recovering from the bounce to Gallade attempting to get a clean hit on the problematic Shiftry with multiple Brick Break swipes. But it was Shiftry's nature that allowed it to predict many of its opponent's attacks and would either step aside or counterattack.

"_Hold… still…, tricky… goblin… thing!_" Gallade shouted, swiping fruitlessly as the smirking Shadow Shiftry easily evaded his swipes while showing off its long white mane with every movement.

"Shiftry, throw that Gallade for a loop with Shadow Storm!"

"Shiftry!" Shiftry growled; a menacing glint sparkled within the pupil of its daunting eye. "Shift!" With a strong grunt, the Wicked Pokémon flapped a large leaf hand forward, whipping forth an incredible spiraling twister as black as the invisible aura it exuded. Anabel gritted her teeth in a bit of frustration, recognizing one of the Shadow attacks that Giratina had used to ruined Ash's global coronation as a true Pokémon Master. With the hated memory resurfacing, there was possibly no way that Anabel would forgive Reverse-Cipher for such a travesty to her lover's honor.

_Gallade, use Psycho Cut to slice that Shadow Storm down to size!_

"_Will try_," Gallade mumbled warily. The Blade Pokémon powered both of his elbow blades, emanating his strong psychic prowess. The black twister was approaching closer and closer by a matter of seconds. Gallade stood ready, pulling his arms back and ready to shred the oncoming attack apart. "_Have at you!_" Gallade shouted with a swift launch from one foot. He extended his green arms and blades out, giving the impression that he was gliding. It was mostly true, though, as the psychic energy radiating from his keen blades kept him aloft, acting as a counter to the earth's gravity.

"Kazam!" Alakazam exclaimed, having teleported next to Gallade as the latter was about to discharge twin psychic ripples from his blades. Fortunately for the Blade Pokémon, he released his attack straight on towards the ravaging Shadow Storm before noticing Alakazam's presence.

_What are you doing?_ Gallade demanded, communicating mentally.

_Saving you, hot-blooded fool!_ Alakazam's telepathic voice shouted. The Psi Pokémon reached an arm forward, touching the bladed edge of Gallade's right elbow with the tip of a spoon. _Now!_ With the small, but existing physical contact established between Alakazam and Gallade, the former successfully teleported the both of them out of range of the approaching Shadow Storm. The twister, before disappearing with the absence of targets, had appeared to be strong enough to redirect the two psychic blades into different directions. One blade was sent into Phenac City's boundary wall; the second was send several feet over Anabel's head and currently spinning westward.

"That was a close call," Anabel muttered in relief, massaging her well-kept lilac hair. _Thank goodness for Alakazam's quick thinking…_

"It's not over yet, princess!" Purpsix Ω hissed frigidly, starting to feel bored about toying with his prey. Alakazam and Gallade rematerialized around Swalot, who merely tilted its body back and forth in shock from its enemies quickly surrounding it. "Ha! Not to worry, Swalot! Use Shadow Dome!"

"Swaaaaa…!" Swalot shouted, emitting more of its visible black aura out of its mouth to form that bothersome, impenetrable bubble. Yet something about the Shadow move seemed all too familiar to Anabel, like she had seen the attack from somewhere before.

_Please…, give me what I'm looking for, my memories!_ Anabel thought intensely, her eyes closed to shut out all visual distractions. Her hearing sense soon followed suit. She perused deeper and deeper through her memories into her subconscious. If the Salon Maiden would even stand a chance against Swalot's great defense, then she needed to find the inspiration from another attack somewhere. _'Electivire, Protect!' Ew! Not that memory!_ Her closed eyes tightened even more. She gritted her pearly white teeth to the point that they would crumble to pieces in spite to her upstanding oral hygiene. She was tolerant with this deep level of mental stress, but then she began hearing the wise voices of Alakazam and Gallade telling her to relax. She cradled her right hand to where her heart was beating as a form of assistance, the hand that had first cemented her feelings for _him_ from a congratulatory handshake. She continued to hear her Psychic Pokémon's thoughts to tell her to relax; she tightened the grip of her left hand on her right. Anabel grudgingly followed their advice since time was running short, and was rewarded with the memory of the move. Her right hand trembled in excitement. _'Snorlax, use Protect!' … That's it! Thank you, Ash!_

"_Milady?_" Gallade inquired, looking back and seeing the upbeat grin beaming on her immaculate, marble-like face.

_Gallade, it's time to try out your newest move under my ownership! Feint!_

"_Roger!_" Gallade exclaimed, quickly saluting back to her before facing the protected Poison Bag Pokémon. He raised a white-glowing blade high over his head, reflecting what little sunlight was available from the clouded skies since the onset of the invasion. Gaining the force in his arm, Gallade instantly swung down his glowing blade upon the spherical shield. The blade easily sliced through the purple and black vibrant bubble, bursting Swalot out and apparently giving it a headache.

"It worked!" Anabel cheered, raising her fist high in the air the same way Ash would celebrate a momentary victory. Purpsix Ω merely fumed at the Shadow Dome's single flaw, easily exploited and dispelled by just one attack. It was no mere coincidence that Anabel saw to it that Gallade learned Feint. It would have come in handy one day, and she was right.

"Shiftry, get into gear and help out Swalot!"

_Alakazam, maintain your distance between Shiftry and use Focus Punch! Gallade, use Psycho Cut on Swalot!_

"Alaka!" Alakazam shouted, reappearing right in front of the Wicked Pokémon's path, much to Shiftry's chagrin. The Psi Pokémon had already prepared a Focus Punch before teleporting in front of Shiftry. The latter was still irritated that Alakazam had gone in its way to stall it, glaring at it with hateful fury. But what Shiftry did not expect from Alakazam was a swift jab under its chin from its powered fist, knocking it away from its main directive.

"_My turn!_" Gallade exclaimed, standing before the bewildered Swalot with a psychic-powered blade overhead. "_Let me put you to rest, noble sack!_"

"Not so fast!" Purpsix Ω hissed. "Swalot, stop that pompous soldier with Poison Gas!"

"Swaaaaa!" Swalot groaned, releasing the noxious gas from its wide mouth. The surprise attack had apparently caught Gallade off guard. The Blade Pokémon had inhaled only a smidge of Poison Gas and already he was coughing roughly and stumbling backwards from the toxic gas cloud.

"Aah! Gallade, no!" Anabel cried, fearing for his poisoning. "This is _so_ not good." She clenched her fists and grunted weakly, frustrated over her foolish move to leave him open like that. The Salon Maiden heard Alakazam's voice screaming; she turned and discovered with widened, frightened lilac eyes that her close friend was blown away by Shiftry's Shadow Storm. Alakazam was sent rolling on the ground, flopping on its stomach before being inertly dragging itself all the way to the poisoned Gallade.

"Back to the corner you go, boy," Greesix Ω sneered, laughing haughtily with his hands on his hips. "What _are_ you going to do now?"

"The way we see it? Your Gallade is poisoned and continues to lose more energy while your Alakazam has been reduced to being the Wicked Witch of the East's replacement," Purpsix Ω stated unpleasantly. If there was one thing she hated more than losing, Anabel truly abhorred shameless braggarts that pick on the meek and innocent. Tightening her fists and holding them close to her heart, she could feel a righteous power beginning to surge from deep within herself. It felt like the right moment to finally use her true power, to show that the Salon Maiden was no pushover in battle and in anything else. It was time for justice to finally strike down these undisciplined heathens.

A sort of celestial force had emerged within Anabel, abruptly ending the Hexagon Brother Ω pair's boastings. A sort of invisible shockwave was emitted from her body, pushing back her troublesome contenders onto the ground for a moment's notice. It would not take long for her to show the true colors she kept within her. Purpsix Ω and Greesix Ω, as well as all four Pokémon from both sides, witnessed her phantasmal transformation as she hovered only a few inches above the ground. It was not like she was going to grow second head or anything of the sort. Her thin body radiated a gentle, heavenly glow. The many rebellious, short tufts of lilac hair and the loose tails of her formal gold-rimmed blouse flowed upward by some unknown force, commonly mistaken by many as the wind. The green and purple Reverse-Cipher Peons noticed that her eyes were still closed, but the peaceful smile on her beautiful face registered her as a-okay. They were awestruck and fearful of this sight, convincing them that she was some sort of goddess. In simple reality as plain as day and night, she was just the Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower who finally achieved finding true love in her life. That and she was the chosen Symbiotic Container of the blessed Cresselia.

Anabel's eyes slowly opened like a newborn's entrance into the world. They radiated a light shade of lavender; benevolent, yet powerful. Greesix Ω and Purpsix Ω were at a complete loss of words of the majesty dazzling their visor-covered eyes before them. Even their Shadow Pokémon remained calm under her soothing presence, their black auras slowly fading back into their bodies. The celestial light had reached out to Gallade and Alakazam, miraculously healing their wounds and purifying Gallade's system of the poison. Her feet slowly touched the ground upon descending, giving a slight tremble within a radius of area around her. Not even the hiding townspeople could help themselves in observing their guardian angel from another land.

"So, boys…," she sang in a somewhat omnipotent, angelic voice, snapping the two Hexagon Brothers Ω out of their awestruck states. Cresselia-Anabel had officially joined the fight.

"_Still_ think she's a boy?" Purpsix Ω hissed quietly to his green-clad brother. The latter shook his head in a terrified, robotic motion. The radiant Salon Maiden raised an arm; Gallade and Alakazam leapt back to her side in no time, readily prepared to resume the battle.

"Shall we dance?"

* * *

"We're not going to let you creeps get away with this!" Ash declared; his Pidgeot flying into attack position. "Pidgeot, start off with Aerial Ace on Walrein!"

"I've got you covered, Ash," Justy said as Pidgeot flew up and began its speedy nosedive towards Walrein, white streaks burning against its beak. "Sandslash, use Sand Attack!"

"Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!" Sandslash grunted, quickly sweeping up sand and dust towards Houndoom and Walrein as much as possible. "Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!" It continued digging into the ground in a repetitive motion while grunting rhythmically to its own swings, tossing up more sand in the air.

"What a bother!" Resix Ω growled, his temper simmering cautiously. "Houndoom, blow that dust away with Flamethrower!"

Houndoom growled ferociously, opening its jaws wide and releasing an intense stream of fire at the floating sand cloud. The millions of grains of sand floating in the air started to glow as red-hot as Houndoom's Flamethrower. The Dark Pokémon zealously continued its fiery assault upon the miniscule sand crystals. It held firm to its savage belief that its relentless burning hellfire was the answer to be rid of Sandslash's conjured sand cloud. It could see the silhouette of the Mouse Pokémon on the other side with spiny quills, dry hide, claws, and all of its defining features equipped for desert life. The sand cloud soon became a quiet heated sandstorm from overexposure to Houndoom's Flamethrower, which happened to be very irritating to the eyes of living beings. In this case, Houndoom suffered for listening to its primal instinct. Sandslash, however, was quicker to the draw and had buried out of sight. Justy had not even commanded it to use Dig.

"Walrein, go intercept that Pidgeot with Shadow Spear!"

"Waaaaal!" Walrein bellowed, leaning its head back. Ash began to shudder from the horrible power gathering upon the snout of the Ice Break Pokémon. Its black aura resonated before everyone's eyes like a fire stretching out, desiring to spread further and cause irreparable damage. The aura gathered over Walrein's snout, forming into a small black arrowhead of energy. It was launched posthaste towards the oncoming Pidgeot as its Aerial Ace neared its mark.

"Pidgeot, get out of the way!"

"Pi-geot!" Pidgeot shrilled, but it did not obey the command for evasion. Instead, the Bird Pokémon continued to dive towards the small hurled shadowy arrowhead. The two collided head on, but much to Ash's huge relief and Justy's as well, Pidgeot escaped with a little bit of scratches on its face from the explosion. "Pi-geot-to!" Pidgeot screeched upon landing a successful and critical hit on Walrein with its Aerial Ace. The Ice Break Pokémon slid across the ground, threateningly baring its sharp tusks at Pidgeot instead of worrying about the minor wound it inflicted.

"Nice job, Pidgeot!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist to his chest. Pidgeot looked back at him with an indecipherable look, dismissing his praise and continued to fly around the battle. Though many have not noticed its rather indifferent behavior, the Mouse Pokémon back on Ash's shoulder thought otherwise. Pikachu was concerned, but kept it to himself.

"No time to get uppity, Ash," Justy advised. "Simply one attack won't finish off that Walrein. And there's something about its Shadow Spear that's throwing me off."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what I learned in the past about Shadow Pokémon, they use moves that are corrupted, shadow versions of regular moves," Justy explained. "For example, Shadow Blitz is just another form of Tackle, but it was rendered super effective against non-Shadow Pokémon. I know there are more Shadow moves, possibly even more than ever with Reverse-Cipher's rise."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Ash dismissed, much to the Phenac Pre Gym Leader's surprise. "I'm more concerned about freeing Houndoom and Walrein from the ShadowPokérus and saving your city."

"But how _are_ you going to help those two Pokémon?" Justy asked, astonished even more so about his plan to reopen the doors to their hearts. One quick scan of Ash and already he noticed another quality that he was missing from the previous two saviors of the Orre region. "You don't even have a Snag Machine on your arm to steal them and free them!" Ash casted a glance back at him before returning his eyes to the field. Pidgeot was flying in a slow circle, impatiently waiting for another attack command. Sandslash was nowhere to be found on the field since its use of Dig a while ago. Houndoom was furiously scratching its eyes out with its paws to remove the burning sand. Finally, there was Walrein challenging the Bird Pokémon to come closer so it can jab its tusks right through its gorgeous plumage.

"Improvise," Ash whispered back. Justy raised an eyebrow, confused. "From what I know, Reverse-Cipher is even worse than Team Rocket for treating Pokémon like this _and_ trashing something important to me. We'll have to free them another way.

"You mean…?" Justy inquired, but failed to finish at the thought. Ash, fortunately, knew where he was going with it.

"If it has to come to that, then we'll do it just so they'd be free from their tyranny. No matter how much I dislike my own choices because of my own sense of justice, it has to be done. It's one of the few downsides of growing up."

"Maturity doesn't leave many choices to a person because by then, he or she should know what to do with their lives," Justy explained. "I'm with you all the way, Ash. Now let's resume saving lives in my home! Sandslash, it's time to strike from underground!"

"Slash!" Sandslash shouted, erupting from the ground below the Houndoom and jabbing its underbelly with a sharp claw. The Dark Pokémon was sent into the air, howling from the super effective hit on its underside. It landed and rolled in close to its Shadow tag partner along with several rocks and grains of sand. Walrein ignored it, opting for revenge against Pidgeot instead.

"Pidgeot, use Gust!"

"Pi-geo!" Pidgeot shouted, flapping its wings forward and forcing a strong burst of wind towards the Shadow Pokémon close together. The condensed, concentrated wind flew towards them like a missile. Walrein flopped forward and crouched forward, ready to counterattack and destroy the oncoming Gust.

"Walrein, use Shadow Spear on the double!"

"Walrein! Waaaaal…!" Walrein bellowed, charging the Shadow attack again. Another Shadow Spear formed over the tip of its snout, except it looked slightly larger. The Ice Break Pokémon reeled back and released the smoky black arrowhead to match Pidgeot's Gust. The Shadow Spear pierced through the air with its sharp, aerodynamic nose. In middle of the air space, the two attacks collided and canceled each other out, signifying their supposed equal terms of strength.

"What?! How did Walrein's Shadow Spear become even stronger?!" Ash demanded, surprised the Pidgeot's power Gust was repelled by an attack that barely scratched the Bird Pokémon the first time around.

"Like I said before, Shadow moves are corruptions of regular moves," Justy repeated in a loud whisper. "It's just the matter of finding out which move you think the Shadow move's imitating and find a way to stop it. Be more careful, Ash. There's no telling what new tricks Reverse-Cipher has developed up to this point."

"You'd be surprise, indeed," Resix Ω concurred smugly, having overheard their conversation. His young enemies glared at him for his act of rude eavesdropping. "Justy, I'm sure you've listened to Krane's lessons about dealing with Shadow Pokémon for the past year, just in case they were to resurface in Orre once again, correct?"

"Yeah! So? What of it?" Justy demanded edgily. The red leader of the Hexagon Brothers Ω chuckled insolently at his snippy attitude. He relished the angered expression of the charming Phenac Pre Gym Leader over the incident when former Cipher Admin Snattle and his brothers seized Phenac City and imprisoned the townspeople in his basement. He and his five other brothers even enjoyed disguising themselves as Justy himself for a quick thrill of mockery.

"Then you must also know the revealed list of Shadow moves used when Grandmaster Greevil was still in charge."

"I still don't know where you're going with this!"

"Justy, what's he talking about?" Ash asked. His and Pikachu's expressions were a mix of apprehension and concern. Pidgeot and Walrein were at another furious stare-down.

"I'm giving you knowledge about the Shadow moves my Houndoom knows," Resix Ω said, folding his arms across his chest with a heated smirk. "'Why is he giving us an edge over him?' you ask. It's because my Houndoom, having been exposed to the ShadowPokérus, is capable of _this_ Shadow move. Houndoom, use Shadow Fire!"

"No _way_!" Justy cried, nearly horrorstruck about the Shadow move called. Ash stumbled back on his feet while almost throwing Pikachu off his shoulder, surprised by his tag partner's sudden outburst of revulsion. "Shadow Fire… was _its_ signature move when _it_ was still a Shadow Pokémon! No other could learn it… until now…!"

The sinister purple darkness within Houndoom's narrowed eyes flared up as the Dark Pokémon howled dreadfully into the darkening sky. Its jaws and nostrils exhaled a simmer of flames, different flames from its ordinary Flamethrower attack. The fire emanating from its mouth was a darker shade of red and orange. To top it all off, its feral flames from hell were coated and engulfed in its black aura, thus giving a newer and more painful definition of "burn for all eternity." Its new flames might even have the possibility of utterly melting the deepest, inner circle of hell. Houndoom lifted its devilish head towards the one who gave it pain in the battle. Extremely vengeful to the point that it did not care what was in the way, Houndoom exhaled the Shadow Fire towards the trembling, wide-eyed Sandslash, unaware of the real anguish in store for it.

"Don't worry, Justy… You'll soon join your desert rat in darkest pits of the underworld!" Resix Ω sneered, exhaling forebodingly through his curved mouth and drinking in the possible destruction the attack will leave in its wake.

"G-Got to think of something…!" Justy stuttered, stomping a foot forward with a sudden thought. "Sandslash, Dig! Hurry!"

"Sandslash!" Sandslash cried, immediately complying with the hasty command. It swiftly burrowed through the ground, rapidly clawing through the sand until the tips of its quills were safely underneath the surface. The blast of Houndoom's Shadow Fire flew right over the hole, leaving dark embers scattered around it from its tail. Justy exhaled in relief, only to stiffen upon the realization that the Shadow Fire blast was now heading towards him.

_Oh, geez!_ Justy thought, his entire body paralyzed by fear.

"Justy, get out of the way!" Ash shouted, dashing towards him from his right. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder as Ash neared his tag team partner in a matter of inches. The young Aura Guardian tackled the stationary Pre Gym Leader with his left shoulder. The force was able to budge Justy out of his spot while causing Ash to fall over from the collision. The save was almost impeccable, sparing both young men from the Shadow Fire. However, Ash's misstep from the moment his foot touched the ground from saving Justy inadvertently caused him to flail his arms. Houndoom's attack went past his back, but not before the side of its head had seared through Ash's thrashing right hand.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu screamed, greatly terrified of the tragedy that transpired.

"No, Ash!" Justy shouted at the sight of his friend's hand caught in the black hellfire. The expression he read from Ash's face told of unspeakable pain, so much so that screaming was not enough to measure the precise amount of suffering his hand had endured. Ash fell to his knees, gripping his shaking right arm with his left hand to prevent convulsing twitches from hurting anyone else. The darkened flames from the Shadow Fire continued to burn away the fabric of his fingerless glove and the soft flesh it failed to protect underneath. The dim embers were smaller than his fingers, but they continued to make Ash suffer for his impulsive act. "What's Anabel going to say about _that_?!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Ash growled, his voice strained by the pain. He held back more screams of torment the dark flames were inducing into his right hand.

"Easy, man. I'm just trying to help," Justy apologized, sounding sympathetic to his friend's plight. He and Ash heard the two main Hexagon Brothers Ω laughing sadistically at his accident, prompting vicious glares from the former two. Reverse-Cipher was truly without remorse.

"You just _had_ to save your friend, didn't you, brat?" Blusix Ω asked condescendingly. "Do you even know the legends behind Houndoom's flames? They'll continue to burn your flesh until the day you die!"

"And to add more insult to your injury," Resix Ω began, "Houndoom's fires were greatly strengthened by the ShadowPokérus, meaning that even your cold, dead, lifeless corpse will burn into _ashes_! And _then_, the flames will burn the _ashes_ into more _ashes_! And so on! And so on! And _so on_!"

"You guys… are the _worse_!" Ash seethed, wincing from the burn. His own tone of anger had even startled Justy and Pikachu. "P-Pidgeot, use Brave Bird on _Houndoom_!"

"Pi-geot-_to_!" Pidgeot shrieked; its eyes crossed vengefully upon the Pokémon that dared to commit the crime. "Pi-geo!" Pidgeot closed up its wings and dived fiercely towards Houndoom, briefly engulfed in red-orange flames from the atmospheric air pressure. The Bird Pokémon reopened and spread its wings out again, the flames fading away and replaced with a shimmering blue glow without delay. Its descent had slowed rather considerably from the reemergence of its wings, but Pidgeot opted to continue flying towards Houndoom.

"Walrein, stop Pidgeot with another Shadow Spear!"

"Waaaaal…!" Walrein bellowed, concentrating the Shadow Spear on the tip of its blue snout. Its black aura converged together; the output from its body was even more. The Shadow Spear had appeared, but at an even larger size than before. "… Rein!" Walrein proceed to launch with a hefty growl. The bigger black arrowhead flew at the same pace as Pidgeot, colliding and consequentially creating an explosion.

"Pi-geeooo…!" Pidgeot cried, shot out of the air from the explosion smoke. It had accumulated a lot of black marks and bruises from this Shadow Spear, astonishing both Ash and Justy of its development. Walrein's attack had somehow become strong enough to halt Pidgeot's Brave Bird.

"Pidgeot, n-no—!" Ash shouted, interrupted by the searing sting of Houndoom's flames on his right hand.

"Ash, you got to let me treat it!" Justy demanded, distraught at his friend for his stubbornness. Ash held his left hand up, directing his palm in front of Justy's face.

"I told you that I got it t-taken care of," Ash said, grinning weakly. Justy was still not convinced enough. "So…, do you want to know _how_ I was able to d-determine Pikachu's and Nosepass' locations from our b-battle?" The expression of the Phenac Pre Gym Leader shifted from concerned to confusion. "W-Watch…" Ash breathed in and demonstrated what he meant. The palm of his left hand started to radiate a spiritual blue glow. Justy was astounded by the mesmerizing sight and observed carefully on Ash's next action. Ash had lifted his left hand over the burning flames on his right. The blue glow took the form of a sphere, slowly engulfing his entire hand. The flames suddenly disappeared without a trace upon contact with his aura. Ash sighed a bit of reprieve; the expression of his face relaxed. "The pain's been quelled, but now I'm stuck with these burnt scars… It's kind of 'BA', isn't it?"

"So you really _are_ an Aura Guardian," Justy said, his expression amazed and practically hypnotized. "And yes, it _is_ kind of 'BA'."

"Hey!" Resix Ω shouted, grabbing both young men's attention. "You brats can't handle the big boys?" Justy steadily helped Ash back to his feet. Both boys were raring to resume their battle.

"It's not over yet, so don't celebrate just because you got _me_ down," Ash quipped.

"You still have _me_ to get to," Justy pointed out, energized by his emerging confidence. "Sandslash, it's time to strike again!"

"Slash!" Sandslash exclaimed, muffled by the earth's surface. "Sand-slash!" The Mouse Pokémon erupted under Walrein this time, jabbing the Ice Break Pokémon upward with both sets of its sharp claws. Protected by blubber or not, Walrein had definitely felt the sharp pain that had been driven into its underbelly. It was thrown several feet in the air by the wiry Sandslash. As if it was not bad enough for the dazed Walrein, some sort of strange wave in the form of a clear, visible blade was spinning towards the airborne Ice Break Pokémon. They both crashed into each other, resulting in even more damage for Walrein and quite a lucky break for the heroes.

"Where did that attack come from?" Justy asked. "It looked like a misguided Psycho Cut or something. Whoa…" Ash had some sort of hunch about the stray projectile, but merely kept it to himself. The battle needed him more.

"Pidgeot, use Gust!"

"Pi-geo!" Pidgeot shrilled, narrowing its eyes and releasing a powerful Gust from its wings at Walrein. The gust of wind pushed Walrein further west from the impact of the stray Psycho Cut. "Pi…geo…" A small smirk had formed at the corner of Pidgeot's beak, confident with its inner calculation from the angle and trajectory of its launched Gust attack. The scenario went as it was predicted and created by the Bird Pokémon. Walrein's descent was sped by the blast of concentrated wind, its direction completely influenced from Pidgeot's location. The Ice Break Pokémon had landed right on top of Houndoom just before the wide-eyed Dark Pokémon had enough time to react and escape, crushing it under its massive weight and great impact.

"Awesome teamwork, you guys!" Ash cheered.

"That was executed quite well, if I may say so," Justy remarked, pushing back some of his bangs out of his eyes. "We also have the stray Psycho Cut to thank us."

"Don't worry about _that_," Ash replied. "I'll be sure to thank _her_ personally." With both boys impressed by the reversal of their match against the top pair of the Hexagon Brothers Ω, more rays of sunlight have begun to pierce through the dark clouds of despair and desolation from up above the skies of Phenac City.

"Resix Ω, how did these kids suddenly get ahead of us?" Blusix Ω asked, outraged by the sudden tide of the battle for Phenac City.

"It's because we _let them_," Resix Ω replied curtly. "It's part of our Omega Formation, after all. Know what I mean?"

"Not really."

"Just shut up and command your Walrein to get off my Houndoom… and use Shadow Spear while you're at it. I'm sure it will shut those brats but well."

"Right! Walrein, get off of Houndoom and use Shadow Spear on Sandslash this time!"

"Walrein!" Walrein grunted, hopping off the unfortunately flattened Dark Pokémon. "Waaaaal…" The Ice Break Pokémon began to prepare its fourth Shadow Spear to be hurled. The Shadow attack's biggest flaw, however, was about to be revealed before long to both Ash and Justy as the black aura slowly garnered and accumulated over its snout.

"There's a reason that Walrein keeps on repeating Shadow Spear," Justy said, glancing at the focused Aura Guardian. "Do you see it now?"

"I… I think so," Ash replied, narrowing his auburn eyes upon the growing Shadow Spear. "I finally see which move Shadow Spear's derived from. I was fooled for a bit because of the shape, but now I see. We've got to act fast if we're to stop it." Both Ash and Justy shared a glance of conformity and nodded resolutely thereafter. "Pidgeot, go!"

"You too, Sandslash!"

Both Pokémon cried out fiercely, making their way toward the Shadow Walrein with the budding Shadow Spear. The Reverse-Cipher Peon duo of red and blue smirked at the supposed foolishness of increasing the chance for a fatal hit upon the Shadow move's completion. But nothing had been totally decided. The battle raged on as Pidgeot and Sandslash swiftly approached their unanimous foe, corrupted by the plague of the superficial ShadowPokérus. Even as they continue their violent battle, there were still others raging on elsewhere throughout the vicinity of Phenac City. The time wasn't now for all things to come to an end. Both sides of good and evil refuse to give way and surrender, not until the very tiring end would come.

* * *

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed every individual battle. They should all be concluded right upon the next chapter. I really can't decide which one was my favorite to write and read over as they all have their own unique qualities. There were Paul's ruthless defiance to join Reverse-Cipher, Anabel's steadfast wits, and Ash and Justy's great struggle and determination. The main plot would only get better than this as soon as even more chapters are added, I least I hope so.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Ciao!**


	15. Invasion, Part III

**I don't have much to say right now except this. As far as the developing progress of this sequel goes in my mind, I think that this story might actually have the capacity to match and overthrow the popularity of **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**. I mean, I'm glad I did a decent job with it since it was the first story I've ever written, but really, I have all of you to thank for giving me a chance to bring out my potential as an excellent writer and popularize AbilityShipping. I just wish there were also more AbilityShipping fan fiction aside from mine so I can see how others draw Ash and Anabel together…**

_**Tale of Stardom**_** isn't even halfway finished, but I guess it all depends on how everything will be played out. Again, I express my gratitude to the loyal readers enjoying my work. I really enjoy hearing from any of you, whether it would be to correct my overseen mistakes, pointing out what you admire in the chapter, or just stopping by and saying "Hi! How are you?" and something of the sort. Anyway, this is the concluding round against the bothersome Hexagon Brothers. **

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

There was a dangerous situation at hand at the once serene Phenac City. For a more accurate description, there were three different battles pinpointed at different locations within the city occurring concurrently. These fierce miniature wars between the sides of good and evil, light and shadow, nature and artificiality, balance and disorder continued to ravage like a dangerous fire, consuming whatever it could reach out to in order to stay alive and burn the ground. The longer the fights against the dispatched pairs of the Hexagon Brothers Ω continued, the more treacherous the vicinity became for the innocent townspeople of Phenac City. One misguided attack was all that was needed to ensure that the guilt burned in the heroes' minds for a long time, right up to the point of a total mental breakdown and the precarious increase of a suicide possibility. If the restored evil sextuplets were able to seize that chance on the young chosen heroes, then they would finally rest in peace, knowing that they served Reverse-Cipher just enough. That was what this special team of Peons was to the entire criminal organization. The Hexagon Brothers Ω were nothing more than tools in the eyes of the higher up in Reverse-Cipher, just the same as how they all view Pokémon.

Two redirected Psycho Cuts had recently taken place in Anabel's battle against the tricky pair of Greesix Ω and Purpsix Ω. Fortunately for the Salon Maiden, one of them crashed into a wall with no townsperson near it and the second Psycho Cut had greatly benefited a greater battle at hand without her knowledge of said assistance. Rejuvenated with the powers of Cresselia flowing through her mortal body that were granted from their seven-month old Aura Fusion, Anabel had begun to turn the tide of her battle to her favor with the brief recovery of her Pokémon's strength.

"Alakazam… Gallade… there's no need to hold back on these villains now," Anabel announced, her voice authoritative, yet angelic. Her thin arms were folded tightly across her chest. Her immaculate face portrayed a straight and serious expression. It was not often that she would don such a nerve-racking fascia, but dealing with deceptive creeps like the Hexagon Brothers Ω would leave no room for error whatsoever. "I bet Ash has already finished his business and secured the mayor, so it's time for us to do the same."

"Dream on, princess…!" Purpsix Ω hissed, abruptly interrupting her vocal conversation with her Psychic Pokémon. "Even _if_ you somehow triumph over Greesix Ω and myself, our hotheaded Resix Ω will ensure that our mission is complete… one way… or another…!"

"Yeah! So why don't you go back to 'talking mentally' with your Pokémon or something?" Greesix Ω quipped, raising a fist at her. Though she was meters apart from the Hexagon Brothers Ω pair, Anabel could have sworn that the green Reverse-Cipher Peon made a rather obscene gesture with one of his fingers meant for her and glowered at the despicable thought.

"I've already tried to offer a chance of forgiveness to you, but if you're not going to repent for your misdeeds to the people of Phenac City, then I guess there's no more reason for me to hold back," Anabel stated curtly, her tone nearly representing her and her Pokémon's combined omnipotent abilities. She extended her right arm forward with an open hand. Her delicate palm exuded a great, blinding light that had also begun to resonate from Alakazam's and Gallade's bodies. "Gallade, use Psycho Cut on Swalot! Alakazam, use Focus Punch on Shiftry!"

"_At your command, milady!_" Gallade exclaimed, leaping into action at the same time as Alakazam. Each Psychic-type Pokémon went to their assigned targets, storing the energy for their attacks as they ran vigorously. Regaining their aggression after having been exposed to Anabel's light, Swalot and Shifty quickly crouched forward, ready to defend against the oncoming attacks and possibly maneuver a counterattack in the ensuing melee. Gallade became the first to strike, proudly raising an extended sharp blade glowing in lavender psychic energy high in the air and about to smite the Poison Bag Pokémon.

"Swalot, use Shadow Dome!"

"Swaaaaa…!" Swalot bellowed, releasing its condensed black aura out of its mouth. It immediately took the form of the familiar, impenetrable, purple-black bubble that surrounded Swalot. Gallade swiped his Psycho Cut down, coming to a deadlock when his attack was unable to cut through the Shadow Dome. In fact, the blade almost looked like it was wedged deeply into the black bubble with no possible way of prying it free; it was not unless Swalot wanted to end its powerful protection to receive a super effective vertical slash down its face.

_Gallade, switch to Feint!_

The Blade Pokémon was impatiently struggling to free his right arm, but faintly nodded in acknowledgment to Anabel's next command. While Gallade began to focus the power of Feint into his free arm, Alakazam chased Shiftry and cornered the Wicked Pokémon at Phenac City's boundary stone wall. The Shadow Shiftry shifted its head left to right, snarling at Alakazam as a dare to come forward and attack. Alakazam narrowed its eyes at the ferocious Shiftry, gripping its spoons tightly before leaping into attack position. With its mental power focused in its right fist, the Psi Pokémon dashed forward with a loud war cry to the cornered Shiftry.

"Cornered?! Ha! Don't… you… believe it!" Greesix Ω shouted, swinging his arm down as a rebuttal. "Shiftry, use Shadow Leaf!"

"Shiftry Shift!" Shiftry grunted, its dreadful eyes gaining a sinister glint accompanied with a smirk. The Wicked Pokémon jumped high in the air and kicked off the wall, surprising Alakazam as it drove its Focus Punch into the wall at the same time. Its fist and spoon were trapped in its own small crater. Alakazam fumed to itself, turning its head around to see Shiftry's counterattack. "Shift!" With a roaring bellow and an outspread flap of its hands, Shiftry released a flurry of leaves created out of its black aura. The Shadow Leaf barrage was carried upon a frigid, bone-chilling wind that beckoned death. The image of the black leaves carried along the chilling wind was reflected off of Alakazam's widened, apprehensive eyes; the Psi Pokémon was left helpless with its right hand trapped in the wall.

_Alakazam, calm down and use Teleport!_

Anabel's soothing telepathy had done the trick. Alakazam's mind had settled down from worrying about getting free or the approaching Shadow Leaf attack. The answer was apparently obvious from the start. The only problem, looking back at it as a foolish mishap, was Alakazam's momentary panic. The Psi Pokémon took a deep breath and regained control over its emotions, having been set wild by Shiftry's deceptive nature. Alakazam's body had started to glow a translucent light. Its personage started to become less visible to the human and Pokémon eye. Before long, Alakazam had disappeared from the wall with its only remnant being the small crater on the wall left by its Focus Punch. The Shadow Leaf attack blew into where the Psi Pokémon originally was, enlarging the previous crater with its destructive onslaught.

"Shift…," Shiftry cursed inwardly, scowling. A shimmering light sparked several feet from its right side. The phenomenon turned out to be Alakazam's Teleport; the Psi Pokémon had returned within sight on the ground.

"Shiftry, another Shadow Leaf! Now!"

_Alakazam, deflect it with Psybeam!_

"Ala-kazam!" Alakazam shouted, quickly crossing his metallic spoons together. They radiated a peculiar light and soon enough, a multicolored beam shot out from it. The Psybeam would have no effect on Shiftry itself, but Anabel had Alakazam use the attack as a defense. The Psychic attack collided against the cold force of black leaves, resulting in a minor stalemate and an explosion. "Ala…" Alakazam grunted in approval while observing a snarl from Shiftry. The Wicked Pokémon was growling ferociously, its gritting mouth salivating cannibalistically.

_Alakazam, be careful of that Shiftry… I sense that its anger is starting to rage out of control..._

_Will do_, Alakazam replied mentally to Anabel, nodding subtly. The Psi Pokémon watched the Shadow Shiftry land back on the ground from having launched its Shadow Leaf. Several rasping growls sounded out from Shiftry's throat while its body convulsed erratically. Alakazam remained on its guard, holding its spoons up in front of him as a warning. Before fully focusing its attention at the Wicked Pokémon, Alakazam carefully glanced at his comrade's direction right before Shiftry had begun its sudden pounce.

Gallade had completed his Feint, dispelling Swalot's supposedly impenetrable and perfect defense. The Poison Bag stumbled back on its crawling stomach, startled from the disappearance of its Shadow Dome. Gallade had swung his fist around from the Feint, swatting Swalot back even further along the ground. The Blade Pokémon cautiously approached Swalot, having received a telepathic command that involved using a psychic-powered blade to end the Shadow Poison-type Pokémon. With a deep exhale, he stepped forward before the cowering Swalot with a meek, but potent look in his scarlet eyes.

"_I'm sorry that it has come to this, but even you know that this is the only way for you to be free_," Gallade explained, raising his blade high. "_You can't fool me with the same tactics more than once or twice. This is the end._"

"For you!" an arrogant voice intervened. Both Gallade and Swalot glanced back at the insolent cur, revealed to be Swalot's dreadful controller, Purpsix Ω. "You're right, Gallade. The same move won't work on you. Swalot, use Shadow Smoke!"

"Swalot Swa…?!" Swalot cried, hesitating at the command all of a sudden. It shifted its eyes from Purpsix Ω to Gallade and back again. "Swalot? Swa? Swalot?"

Its entire fight with Gallade, as well as his courteous nature and clever assistance from Anabel's sacred light, had considerably freed much of its mind from the powerful persuasion of the ShadowPokérus. Its body had started to gain a tolerance, immunity in other words, to the altered artificial virus. With Gallade's help by battling with it and allowing all its repressed memories free, all the good times it had prior to being captured by the criminal organization its owner was a part of, Swalot was significantly closer to freedom. It was as though the Blade Pokémon was the legendary Celebi itself, a powerful guide that helped it realize all the good things in life. Its life would be a lot better without the possibility of becoming a soulless, fighting machine; its victories would be a hollow victory and would only benefit Reverse-Cipher by causing more senseless destruction.

"_Swalot, you okay?_" Gallade asked, carefully extending a hand forward. Swalot noticed and reeled back in fearful timidity.

"Swa… Swalot Swalot Swa…," Swalot explained, trembling palpably from its inner conflict. "Swalot Swa Swalot…" The Poison Bag Pokémon's conflict was as same as any other simple conflict; no matter how complicated the concepts involved were, there would always be two opposing sides of right and wrong attempting to trump the other. On one side, there was the vicious primal desire for self-preservation within the shadows. On the other side was the longing wish for freedom from the chains of apathy, to be able to feel happiness once again. It had started to become a problematic dilemma ever since it fought Gallade in battle. Anabel's tender influence had also been a hindrance since her powers had flared up considerably earlier.

"_I understand_," Gallade replied. His bright lavender blade still radiated psychic energy above his head. "_But know that you can't hold yourself in fault and contempt when I do this._" The Blade Pokémon weaved his powered arm in the air with expertise; he struck down Swalot with righteous intentions. His blade slashed through the portly Poison Bag Pokémon, ending their noble battle. Swalot fell onto its back, having given up all its power in battle and was only one step closer to purification. It needs someone to open the door to its heart. "_Rest easy, noble Swalot…_"

"Good-for-_nothing_!" Purpsix Ω growled venomously. "So _that's_ the way it's going to be, huh?!" He searched his uniform until he came across the only Poké Ball left in his possession. The influential grace in Anabel's eyes flashed upon the sight of the Poké Ball. The Salon Maiden slowly bit her lip, expecting the purple Reverse-Cipher Peon to recall his defeated Swalot. Instead, the irate Peon glared at it before shifting his burning gaze at his traitorous Poison Bag Pokémon. "In _that_ case…" Purpsix Ω furiously threw Swalot's Poké Ball towards Phenac City's boundary wall, effectively shattering the containment sphere in half upon impact. "A _Poké Ball_ is not _enough_ to control _you_!"

_These lowlifes are even worse than Paul!_ Anabel thought, her lilac eyes and mouth appalled and wide. Apparently, she greatly detested the coldhearted display of abandonment by the purple Hexagon Brother Ω. She noticed that Greesix Ω remained unfazed by the action, shrugging it off. At the distance, she also managed to read his lips; he said that they could just get another and more obedient Shadow Pokémon for Purpsix Ω. The gestures were just plain cruel. Although it saved her a chance to protect Swalot until Ash came around for purification, destroying a Poké Ball in spite for a Pokémon's failure was a horrible action.

_Anabel, don't let their unspeakable acts get to you_, Cresselia's voice advised calmly within her troubled, storming mind. Her frustration over Purpsix destroying his Swalot's own Poké Ball had melted away and was soon forgotten. Having a Cresselia living within her body had its benefits of emotional and physical recuperation as the Salon Maiden managed to keep her anger back in check.

_I understand that, but—_

_You can't let their dastardly ploys get to you!_ Cresselia insisted firmly. _Don't lose your cool over this. I understand your anger, but don't let it control you no matter what happens. I know you well enough, Anabel. You always have control over your own emotions, even during our special training back at Iron Island._

_Okay, but—_

_And no, I'm not the reason on how you are able to remain emotionally stable_, Cresselia interrupted._ You mastered your battle style on how to be calm and unreadable in your opponent's eyes before you even joined the Battle Frontier. That is how you won many battles in your past years and before you even fell in love; you've even won over your lover's heart without looking too desperate for romance. I still think you could have saved the tears for later instead of breaking down in front of Ash and spilling out your pain onto him almost a year ago. _

_Cresselia, please don't bring that memory up again_, Anabel's voice pleaded sincerely._ I—_

_I mean, sympathy is good and all, but even you saw the awful direction he was previously facing at your date night_, Cresselia pointed out. Unbeknownst to the Lunar Pokémon, a soft groan from the Salon Maiden echoed louder and louder in the crevices of her mind as she continued bringing up the past._ After all, Paul managed to sway him to the dark side of battling and still remained as cool as a cactus while it took your emotional breakdown to change his mind and make him love you back. You can't let your emotions overwhelm you like that night, Anabel. What would Ash think if you started to be all weepy and loud over the littlest—?_

_Cresselia!_

_What?!_

_Alakazam needs me, so I'd appreciate it if I could focus on the remaining portion of the battle_, Anabel stated rather offhandedly. She did feel regretful from scolding Cresselia like that, but she could somehow feel that the Lunar Pokémon did not take it in offense. Cresselia understood the motive behind her action like the wise, mature figure she truly was. In other words, both souls forgave the other for their individual faults.

… _I apologize for taking up your time, Anabel_, Cresselia replied, her tone gentle and apologetic. _You know I mean well for you._

_Cresselia, you're almost like a mother to me_, Anabel told the Lunar Pokémon; her corporeal face forming a delicate smile. _I know that you want to help us save Orre and the world from Reverse-Cipher's shadows; you and Darkrai both, surprisingly._ She heard her spiritual partner giggle lightly before withdrawing her presence deep within her body, allowing Anabel total control over her mystical abilities.

_It's about time that you two had stopped bickering_, a new telepathic voice remarked impatiently. Anabel had snapped out of her mental trance and immediately glanced at Alakazam, who was avoiding every punch and Shadow Leaf barrage thrown in by the berserk Shiftry. _I was wondering when you'd stop playing mind games with yourself and help me out over here._

_I'm sorry about that, Alaka—choo!_ Anabel replied, suddenly sneezing daintily. She sniffled briefly before brushing it off. _I have a bit of a headache now, but Cresselia's powers are still active within me._

_I don't care about that! Give me a command now!_

_R-Right… Teleport and then Focus Punch!_

"Ala!" Alakazam grunted, holding its arms up and spoons to guard. Its Trainer had finally regained her mental focus, which also had a synchronous effect on it by helping clear his mind of superficial distractions. The Psi Pokémon could feel her shared majestic power coursing through him, healing the minor wounds previously inflicted by Shiftry. "Ala-kazam!" Alakazam dematerialized before long again, causing Shiftry to stumble forward with a physical attack into nothing.

"Shiftry Shift Shiftry…!" Shiftry groused, searching high and low for the disappearing Alakazam. With furious glances from the Hexagon Brothers Ω's side to Anabel's section, the Wicked Pokémon was losing more and more of its rationale to the corrupting influence of the ShadowPokérus. "Shiftry _Shift_!" Its power was reaching a critical peak, perhaps entering Reverse Mode. If that had happened, the ShadowPokérus would lose its hold over Shiftry's nature at an even quicker rate than before. The only drawback was that anything in front of Shiftry's path would be utterly decimated if the Wicked Pokémon attacked.

"It looks like Shiftry's finally entered Reverse Mode," Greesix Ω noted blatantly. "It's time for _me_ to end this with one attack and wipe her Pokémon out! Shiftry, use Shad—Behind you!" The warning of the green Reverse-Cipher Peon alerted Shiftry to Alakazam's reappearance. The Psi Pokémon had reappeared with a glowing and tightened fist reeled back, smirking.

"Ala…," Alakazam greeted coolly. Shiftry viciously narrowed its daunting eyes at the impertinent Psychic-type Pokémon. "… Alakazam." This was marked as a good-bye as Alakazam threw its Focus Punch forward as an uppercut under Shiftry's chin, sending the Wicked Pokémon flying in the air with an agonizing result. The expression on Shiftry's pained face was submissive from the powerful hit.

"Shiftry, it doesn't have to be this way any longer!" Anabel called out, her soft voice intertwined with Cresselia's. "Allow my friends and me to heal you back to the way you were."

"That's bull!" Purpsix Ω interrupted, earning the expected scornful glares from Anabel and her Pokémon. "There's no way you can reopen the doors to these Pokémon's hearts. Even if my Swalot had become a traitor, there's no way you can force the doors to their hearts open unless you can bring them to that stupid Relic Stone in Agate Village. There's no way, I tell you!"

"You, your brothers, and the rest of your foul organization have been underestimating our little group for too long," Cresselia-Anabel warned. She casted her arm in Shiftry's falling direction with an open palm. A blinding, shimmering light emanated from her palm; the same kind of light had illuminated the Wicked Pokémon's entire body outline. Shiftry's descent by gravity had slowed considerably, giving the fatigued Pokémon a soft landing upon the rough ground.

"So you saved my Shiftry, big whoop-de-do!" Greesix Ω scoffed, exaggerating his false joy with his arms thrown up in the air. "That's still not going to convince me to hand it over to _you_." The green Peon took Shiftry's Poké Ball from his belt and pointed the center button at its direction. "Shiftry, ret—!"

"Alakazam, seize his Poké Ball with Psybeam!"

"Alaka!" Alakazam shouted, crossing his metallic spoons together. The Psi Pokémon was quicker to the draw, courtesy of Anabel's amazing mental concentration assisting its own focus. The Psybeam shot out and disarmed Greesix Ω before he could release the retracting red beam upon Shiftry. The Poké Ball was sent a considerable distance away, landing on the ground and rolling close to a Phenac civilian's house.

"Ow! Damn it all!" Greesix Ω swore loudly, shaking his shocked hand from the numbing sensations of the Psybeam.

"Forget it, dimwit," Purpsix Ω scolded, snarling his teeth at the victorious Salon Maiden. "We've failed our mission, but we still have the rest of our brothers to still make it a success. Let's just hope they can succeed where we failed." Without another word or argument, Greesix Ω nodded grudgingly to his purple brother's advice. They immediately took off for the eastern exit, passing the gate without looking back and running into the unknown sands of the Orre region.

"I guess that takes care of them," Anabel said, her voice restored to its normal, dulcet tone. Alakazam and Gallade approached her, bowing respectfully as gratitude for her guidance and determination. The Salon Maiden smiled, embracing both of them with each arm for a hard job well done. As she continued to hug her valiant Psychic Pokémon, she noticed that both Swalot and Shiftry had woken up with bewildered expressions. They were fortunately calm and according to the passive look in their eyes, Anabel perceived that they no longer had a reason to be aggressive. They were still giving off faint traces of black aura as far as she could see, however.

"_What will you do now, milady?_" Gallade asked, breaking out of the group hug. Alakazam also looked at her with the same pensive expression. Anabel smiled, thinking about only one task left to do for today as far as she knew. Before she could continue daydreaming about it though, a rather loud explosion took place at a fair distance far west. She and her Psychic Pokémon witnessed two figures forcibly flying into the sky, far away from Phenac City; their lack of visibility was marked by a star. "_Master Ash is around that location, right milady?_"

"Oh, my! Did Team Rocket somehow follow us? Come on! Let's bring the Shadow Pokémon to Ash immediately and help him out!"

* * *

"Hurry up with that Shadow Spear, Walrein!"

"Waaaaal…!" Walrein bellowed, garnering a lot of its black aura onto the tip of its snout. The time it took to form the deadly Shadow Spear was much longer than before; it almost felt like a millennium waiting for it to be launched. Ash and Justy were not about to let that happen, considering that attack grew in strength each time it was used. Their Pokémon was sent to intercept the Ice Break Pokémon while it was still in a vulnerable state, but not before Houndoom leapt in the way.

"Houndoom, get rid of them with Shadow Fire!"

"Pidgeot, dodge with Aerial Ace and strike down Walrein!"

"Sandslash, use Dig!"

All three Pokémon bellowed their respective war shouts and performed their assigned commands. Houndoom reared its head up, combining its destructive hellfire with its horrific black aura in its jaws to create a formidable attack, the same attack that nearly crippled Ash's hand. Sandslash had begun to burrow its way underground, swiping its sharp claws back and forth into the ground. The Mouse Pokémon was halfway safe from the attack. As for Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon waited for Houndoom to make the first move with keen and narrowed eyes. A few seconds had passed and a chilled wind blew across the west vicinity of Phenac City. Ash and Justy tensed their muscles. Resix Ω and Blusix Ω smirked from arrogance and overconfidence. The mayor of Phenac City was hiding in the tight crevice between his house and Phenac City's boundary wall. The cold moment nearly reached its pinnacle in tension and suspense.

"Get going, Houndoom!"

With a terrifying howl into the thick, murky air, Houndoom unleashed its Shadow Fire at the only enemy Pokémon available on the field. Pidgeot was on sight and Sandslash had made its way back underground; that did not leave much choice for the Dark Pokémon to release its flames at. The red, orange, and black flames spewed into a stream from Houndoom's mouth towards the anticipating Pidgeot. The Bird Pokémon had performed an aerial loop, disappearing from sight with the achieved speed from Aerial Ace.

"Where the hell did Pidgeot go?!" Resix Ω demanded in conjunction to his Houndoom's furious roars.

"Pidgeot, strike!"

"Pi-geo…!" Pidgeot screeched, revealing itself flying along the ground in mach speed. White streaks burned from the air friction against the tip of its beck. Its target was Walrein; the Ice Break Pokémon was immobilized from the process of creating its fourth Shadow Spear. "Pi-geot!" Pidgeot's garnered momentum and strength were forceful enough to budge Walrein a few feet into the air. The concentration Shadow Spear disappeared from the slight interruption.

"Good… for… nothing!" Resix Ω fumed, glaring at his blue comrade. "Well?! Do something about your Walrein before these brats get ahead of us… again!"

"Maybe you should have had your Houndoom attack Pidgeot _instead_ of showing off its 'all-powerful' Shadow Fire!" Blusix Ω retorted. The volume of their heated banter reached out to Ash and Justy. The heroic tag team duo could only shrug, unable to decipher what the two main Hexagon Brothers Ω were arguing about in the first place.

"And again, I say, 'What's it to _you_?' Stop those brats from getting the edge on us!"

"Tsk… Fine! Walrein, get your butt in gear and use Body Slam on Pidgeot!"

"Pidgeot, use Brave Bird!"

"Pi-geo-_to_!" Pidgeot screeched, gliding towards the falling Walrein. The Bird Pokémon sped up its flight and closed its wings, its entire body catching fire from the extreme friction force pressing against its body. It was nearing closer and closer to the earthbound Walrein.

"Wal…," Walrein groaned, its underside dragging against the ground from the Aerial Ace impact. It regained its perception of reality of the battle and discovered a flaming Pidgeot diving towards it. "Walrein…" The Ice Break Pokémon had recalled the previous command Blusix Ω ordered a few seconds earlier, flopping high into the air with its blubbery underbelly directed towards Pidgeot.

"Pi-geot!" Pidgeot chirped abruptly.

Pidgeot had reopened out its lustrous wings to break out of its flames. The fire was consequently replaced by a shining blue aura covering the Bird Pokémon's entire plumage, adding much magnificent appeal to its powerful appearance. The blue-glowing Pidgeot glided along the ground, expecting Walrein to face it head on. Walrein was not intimidated by the majestic sight, opting to rather crush Pidgeot under its weight than to watch it flaunt off its power. In retaliation of exhibiting its toughness, Walrein presented its large tusks forward; deliberately implying that their sharpness would pierce through Pidgeot's flattened body and crippled wings once the expected collision took place. Pidgeot's eyes narrowed and its beck clenched; its determination was unwavering. It flew head on with its Brave Bird ready, ramming into Walrein's bulk; the collision result between the two opposing powers created an explosion, accompanied by frigid shockwaves that went into all directions and a hazy smoke blocking Pidgeot and Walrein from everyone's vision.

The entire area of their battlefield fell into a silencing hush from witnessing the great impact of Pidgeot's and Walrein's attacks. The tension was absolutely binding. Ash, Justy, and the two Hexagon Brothers Ω stared at the charcoal-colored cloud, waiting for a sign of life to emerge from the smoke. A loud thud was heard breaking upon the earth. Pidgeot was forcibly ejected out from the top of the cloud, unable to control its own landing. Conclusions of the aftermath had started to set in as Ash ran forward into the battlefield, surprising Justy and Pikachu nonetheless. The Phenac Pre Gym Leader did not try to stop him though as he watched Ash run under Pidgeot's falling shadow. Justy understood from looking at Pikachu's thoughtful expression. It must be done.

"Pidgeot, I got you!" Ash called out, his arms outspread to catch his immobilized Bird Pokémon. He listened to Pidgeot's cries of pain as it was nearing the ground. The Aura Guardian planted his feet firmly into the ground and prepared for Pidgeot's weight to fill his arms. As it played out, Ash successful caught the Bird Pokémon, but the sudden impact had forced him onto his back.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu screamed.

"Ash!" Justy yelled, shocked to see his friend hurt again. He glanced at Pikachu, wondering why the Mouse Pokémon did not immediately go to his rescue. "Hmm… Pikachu? Does Ash do this kind of reckless stuff all the time? I know that he means well, but it seems like he's going over the top to protect his Pokémon."

"Pika," Pikachu shrugged, a faint smile forming at the left corner of his mouth. "Pika, Pikapi Pikachu. Pi Pikapi, Pi-Pikachu. Chu, Pika Pikapi Pi-ka…"

"That… explains a lot…," Justy replied hesitantly.

The Phenac City Pre Gym Leader was no Pokémon whisperer like a familiar Salon Maiden, but he understood much from Pikachu's pantomiming and display of emotions that Ash would often put himself at risk to protect his friends from danger. His rescue of Pidgeot was no exception to the rule, just another brave, yet somewhat foolhardy example. Justy could not help but feel rather lighthearted about this entire situation amidst all the danger happening all around them. Resix Ω was losing his temper over his blue brother's incompetence. Blusix Ω attempted to point out his red-clad partner's own tragic flaws, aside from his hot-headed temperament. Finally, Ash was walking back with a sullen-looking Pidgeot in his arms. Justy had noticed that his face mildly twitched in pain due to the pressure carrying Pidgeot was inflicting on his burnt hand.

"Hey, Justy… Give me a hand here?" Ash requested, having a bit of trouble carrying Pidgeot over. Justy nodded and ran to him, taking on half of Pidgeot's weight so that Ash could lift Pidgeot with his left hand. Their firm cooperation quickly brought the two Trainers back on their side, allowing them to tend to Pidgeot's minor injuries.

"Ash, you're unlike many Trainers I've faced in the past, including Michael and the former Snagem thief," Justy commented, witnessing the resulting grin from Ash. "I'd never seen anyone who'd go full lengths just to save Pokémon, whether they're his own Pokémon or not."

"I guess that's just who I am," Ash surmised, shrugging it off and examined Pidgeot's body. "You're not the only one to tell me that I'm unusual. There were others impressed by my 'brashness,' including Anabel. Anyway, I remember six years ago that I saved Pidgeot from falling several feet from the sky when it was still a Pidgeotto. It was after I completed the Kanto Indigo League."

"Man, Pidgeot must be lucky to have a Trainer like you then."

"Actually…," Ash sounded off in a doubtful tone. Justy was confused on the transition of emotions. "I'm not sure if I even deserve Pidgeot in the first place."

"Why…? Why would you say that?" Justy asked, startled by the misgivings weaved within his tone of voice. "I thought you looked out for all your Pokémon." While the two young men conversed, Pidgeot's eyes slowly opened without anyone's notice, except for Pikachu's awareness. They were not fully opened, but they were influential enough to make Pikachu remain quiet. The Bird Pokémon had been aware of its current surroundings, including the discussed memory of its final moments with Ash before their reuinion almost a year ago.

"It was six years ago," Ash began solemnly. "At the route near my home, Pallet Town, there was a relentless flock of Spearow harassing a defenseless flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto. The Spearow flock was led by a bitter Fearow, evolved from the very same Spearow that I angered the first day I left on my Pokémon journey. I was shocked to see the development of its hatred against me and other humans, and its method on displacing its anger towards the Pidgey and Pidgeotto flock."

"That's a rookie mistake to anger a Spearow," Justy pointed out, "but then again, you _were_ just starting out." Ash nodded slightly and softly caressed the dirt marks and bruises on Pidgeot's torso. Much to his unknowing awareness, Ash did not notice that Pidgeot was listening in to those nostalgic memories. The Bird Pokémon's heart had begun to soften up from hearing the same memories reflecting its bond with Ash, but Pidgeot did not plan to reveal its awakened state just yet.

"Pidgeotto was the second Pokémon I ever caught in my journey. I figured that with its help, we could encourage the Pidgey and Pidgeotto flock to fight back against Fearow and the Spearow. Unfortunately, there was the slight flaw. It was obvious from the start, but I was really stubborn about it…"

"What?"

"My Pidgeotto was overwhelmed by Fearow. It was just bigger, stronger, and faster than Pidgeotto was. I thought I had finally come to a dead-end. I thought that Fearow had finally gotten its revenge by brutally beating up Pidgeotto…"

"And that's when it finally evolved into Pidgeot, correct?" Justy assumed. Ash nodded, his lip started to quiver gradually. He lowered his head in humility before his Pidgeot, much to the Bird Pokémon's surprise. Of course, neither of them knew that it had been awake for the past two minutes or so. Pikachu, however, promised to be quiet unless prompted to speak, covertly winking back at Pidgeot.

"That's right. Pikachu and I joined Pidgeot in a sky battle against Fearow to save those Pidgey and Pidgeotto. It was a fierce battle. I was so amazed by Pidgeot's newfound strength and agility that we finally beaten it. Together with the Pidgey and Pidgeotto flock, we taught that Fearow to never bother them again… And to just make sure Fearow kept its word…"

"Yes…?"

"I released Pidgeot to protect its kind and I promised that I would come back for it as soon as I could," Ash murmured, his voice sounded like it was breaking. He covered his own eyes with the rim of his hat to hide his built-up sorrow. Justy became concerned, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But look how long it's been now… It was over a year ago that I was finally reunited with Pidgeot at the same time Fearow's flock attacked; it was also the same time when the ShadowPokérus made its debut. But none of us knew about it until seven to eight months ago when Cipher attacked us with Shadow Giratina."

"So wait… It's been _six years_ that you and Pidgeot last saw each other?" Justy queried; his eyes were wide and his tone surprised. Unbeknownst to them, Pidgeot's face contorted with depression. Pikachu had understood its recent attitude problems, why it gave Ash those hard looks before following his commands. He stroked the Bird Pokémon's head plumage, comforting it about the seemingly lost trust between it and Ash. "What happened to Fearow?"

"Paul caught it around that time and I purified it almost seven months ago, but that's beside the point… Ever since I was reunited with Pidgeot, I gained this unshakable feeling that I did something wrong to a friend, something very wrong. I even talked to Anabel about it, and she suggested for me to talk to all my Pokémon personally before starting the Challenge of the Elite Four. They all seemed okay; even Pidgeot seemed fine to be under my ownership again. But I still felt a little bit restless. I pieced the puzzle together several times until it fell upon Pidgeot. It took me a while to understand… and this battle to confirm it all." Ash lifted his hat up, his liquid auburn eyes shimmering. His breath and heart rates were progressively increasing. He gazed at Pidgeot soberly before returning into a humble bow before the Bird Pokémon. "I betrayed you, Pidgeot… And I'm truly sorry for not being there… for you." Justy and Pikachu shuffled back a bit, giving Ash his space with Pidgeot. His voice was strained by anguish. The young Aura Guardian had finally recognized his oldest friend's inner pain.

"Pi-geo…," the soft croon of Pidgeot's voice rang in his ears. The sudden sound broke Ash out of his despair. He looked up and discovered Pidgeot standing tall on its two feet with a look of content on its face, a smile curving at the corners of its beak. "Pi-geo Pi-geot…!" Pidgeot outspreaded its wings gloriously, revealing its revived strength from listening to the nostalgic, heartfelt words that came from its Trainers mouth.

"Pidgeot, do… do you forgive me…?" Ash asked, astounded by Pidgeot's recovery and renewed trust in him. Pidgeot responded with a close approach and gave him a big hug with its wings. Ash was left speechless, his mouth hanging open. Justy and Pikachu chuckled nonchalantly while watching Ash return the hug with his own strong grip and squeezing the life out of the stunned Bird Pokémon.

"Well, it's good that Ash and his Pokémon can bounce back with a snap," Justy commented, snapping his fingers once to prove his point. Pikachu nodded in agreement, happy to see that Ash and Pidgeot had reached their reconciliation and their friendship was completely restored, just like the good old days in Kanto.

"What the hell _is_ this?!" Resix Ω's voice demanded. The heroic group turned around and faced the original threat to Phenac City in the form of the leader of the Hexagon Brothers Ω. He had just broken out of an unimportant quarrel with Blusix Ω, apparently disgusted upon discovering the act of Ash and Pidgeot's resolution. "If you're not going to take us seriously, I guess there's no reason for us to abide by 'the rules' any longer!"

"What are you talking about, you knucklehead?" Justy inquired, outraged by Resix Ω's irrational accusation. "Ash was just trying to patch the hole in his friendship with his Pidgeot."

"Bah! Enough of your lies, pretty boy," Resix Ω scoffed, folding his overwrought arms across his chest. "If you hadn't noticed by now, Reverse-Cipher members like I absolutely _don't_ give a damn about sentimental value and all that jazz. And you brats call _us_ crazy! I'm not going to fall behind in my work!"

"Uh, Resix Ω, what should I do?" Blusix Ω asked. The red Reverse-Cipher Peon smacked the durable forehead of his helmet, enormously discontented by the true incompetence of his brother.

"You blue idiot! Recall your Walrein and prepare to retreat with the Phenac mayor! Get your priorities in order!"

"Well, you didn't have to yell it in my ear," Blusix Ω grumbled to himself, searching for Walrein's Poké Ball within his uniform. During the moment he searched for the Poké Ball, Ash sent Pidgeot back out to the field while ushering Justy close for a message.

"Justy, you know that I'm an Aura Guardian capable of many things, right?" Ash whispered. The Phenac Pre Gym Leader nodded gingerly and listened intently for his next words. "Then you must know that I'm also capable of purifying Shadow Pokémon once they're weakened enough in battle and they realize how much happier they'd be without the power of the ShadowPokérus." The very concept caught and threw Justy off guard. The charming young man stumbled back in amazement and shock, still attempting to register the fact that Ash was a very unique individual.

"Uh… instead of arguing with you about it, I want to know how I can help you in purifying Houndoom and Walrein," Justy managed to say in spite of his shock. "It's because I know for a fact that the Hexagon Brothers Ω are _not_ simply going to hand their Pokémon over to you. And without a Snag Machine, you can't purify them at your own pace."

"Which is why we have to prevent them from recalling their Pokémon," Ash finished, dourly looking at the ground. "By any means, we have to seize their Poké Balls. Whether we get to keep them or not after purification, that's _their_ decision…" Justy knew where he was getting at; he understood it as rather unconventional. But due to his bad history with the Hexagon Brothers, he was going to let those moralities slide just for today.

"I'll do what I can," Justy stated curtly, forming a straight line with his mouth. The two young men heard a victorious cry from Blusix Ω, holding Walrein's Poké Ball pompously in the air.

"Pidgeot won't make it in time," Ash said simply, nodding subtly to Justy. It was all in the hands of the Phenac City Pre Gym Leader now. It was time for him to make sure that no Pokémon would be left behind. With a deep breath, he had set aside his own standards to finally take down those colorful cretins for terrorizing his town for far too long.

"Sandslash, it's time to strike! Seize Blusix's Poké Ball!"

The ground started to rumble. With the only Pokémon being active and on the field, Houndoom crouched forward and snarled at the underground Sandslash's direction from where it heard the tunneling motion. The Dark Pokémon began to sniff the ground, its sense of smell discerning and perceptive. Within a few seconds, it caught the wafting scent of Sandslash surfacing from the ground's porous, cracked vents. With a feral bark, Houndoom ran in the direction of Blusix Ω, expecting Sandslash to resurface where he was. Its narrow-minded and nasty tendencies have left it oblivious to Pidgeot's interception in the form of a painful Aerial Ace to its side.

"Awesome work, Pidgeot!" Ash cheered, punching his fist into the air above him. Hovering a few feet in the air, Pidgeot looked back at him with an agreeable expression instead of its previously stoic look.

"I don't know what you brats are getting all uppity about, but you can say 'sayonara' to your confidence once I get the mayor myself," Blusix Ω retorted, directing the Poké Ball in the Ice Break Pokémon's direction. "Walrein, retu—!"

"Sand-slash!" Sandslash exclaimed, emerging from the ground in front Blusix Ω. In amidst of the sudden turmoil of dust clouds in the air and the reemergence of the Mouse Pokémon, Sandslash swiped Walrein's Poké Ball out of the blue Reverse-Cipher Peon's hand swiftly, knocking it aside several feet away.

"You filthy rat! Get away from my brother!" Resix Ω roared. The sudden vengeful attitude was rather paradoxical in contrast to his earlier quarrels with Blusix Ω, but just like real brothers, the Hexagon Brothers Ω would still look after each other despite their contemptible differences. The boiling anger in his voice had urged Houndoom back on its feet from the critical hit from Pidgeot. "Houndoom, get over there and make sure that desert rat burns in hell for all eternity! _Shadow Fire_!"

"Pidgeot, stop Houndoom with Brave Bird! Let's go!"

"Pi-geo-_to_!" Pidgeot screeched, performing another mach dive and setting itself on fire once again. Breaking out of the flames with its wings and gaining a magnificent blue aura to engulf its entire body, the Bird Pokémon flew right in front of Houndoom's destructive path of shadows and hellfire. Its newfound trust in Ash had enabled an increased power output, giving it the capability to fly right through the Shadow Fire in its Brave Bird aura. Houndoom grunted in anticipative horror, greatly flabbergasted that its most powerful Shadow move was easily blown away. "Pi-geot!" With a loud shrill, Pidgeot blew away the rest of the Shadow Fire into abysmal embers that faded away rather quickly and collided into Houndoom head-on; the opposing energies creating a potent, close-ranged explosion.

"Pidgeot, you okay?!" Ash called out. His Pidgeot flew out of the resulting smoke as the victorious Pokémon, sparks of blue energy crackling around its body as recoiling damage from the Brave Bird. "Hah… that was a close one."

"Ash!" Justy yelled, seizing the young Aura Guardian's attention. "Houndoom!"

"Oh, man! That's right!" Ash quickly said, pounding his tightened left fist into the palm of his burnt right hand, irrevocably regretting that afterwards. "Ack… That's smarts…" As he muttered to himself to never do that again, he observed Resix Ω searching for Houndoom's Poké Ball amongst his person, nearly coming into a breakthrough as the smoke cleared away and revealed the Dark Pokémon's limp body. "Ow… Pidgeot, steal Houndoom's Poké Ball away from him!"

"Pi-geo!" Pidgeot chirped, flying back down towards the unsuspecting red Hexagon Brother Ω. Faultlessly timed, Resix Ω pulled out Houndoom's Poké Ball with a sudden jerk, only for Pidgeot to swoop in and snatch it with the swift motion of its sharp talons.

"Hey, you goddamned birdbrain!" Resix Ω swore, swinging his fist and forming what seemed to be a rather inappropriate gesture with one of his fingers at the Pidgeot. "Give that back now or so help me…!"

"I can't stand these losers anymore," Justy groaned, pretending to cover his ears. "Ash, you can do whatever you want with them now. They're all yours."

"Let's see them out with the only way we know how, Pikachu," Ash suggested bluntly, grinning widely. Pikachu knew what he was aiming for, nodding vigorously in concurrence. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Upon the predicted, but favored command, Pikachu dashed forward with discharged static from his red cheeks.

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted, releasing his ever powerful electricity upon Resix Ω and Blusix Ω, giving them the greatest electrocution of their worthless lives ever. They were completely paralyzed within the massive voltage of bright yellow lightning engulfing their every being.

"S-S-So… I g-g-guess you _d-d-don't_ need a Shadow Pokémon to a-a-attack a human d-d-directly, huh…?" Blusix Ω stated, his stuttering voice in combination with the electrical surges coursing through his body.

"Sh-Sh-Shut up-p-p…!" Resix Ω growled, unable to continue castigating his blue-clad brother within shocks. The small area afflicted by the Thunderbolt soon became an overload from the excessive build-up of electricity, erupting into an explosion that sent the two Hexagon Brothers Ω flying high in the air. "Why are _we_ blasting off?!"

"Who… _knows_…?" Blusix's Ω clueless voice echoed as the inept duo flew out of sight; their exit marked by a star high in the sky. Ash, Pikachu, Justy, Pidgeot, and Sandslash raised their fists, paws, wings, and claws in the air, celebrating a job well done and a victory difficult to attain with an ecstatic yell into the clearing sky. The ominous clouds had started to dissipate over Phenac City. Ash knew that it was still not over yet with the Reverse-Cipher organization, but at the moment enjoyed the triumph with a new friend and an old partner.

The supposedly threatening invasion from the Hexagon Brothers Ω had finally come to an end.

* * *

"Ash! Over here!" Anabel yelled, waving her hand high for Ash and Justy to see. She ran to them in front of the mayor's house, catching her breath upon reaching them. She had recognized the flying figures as the leading Hexagon Brothers Ω duo he and Justy had fought and defeated together in their tag team battle. "You guys did it!"

"Anabel, I'm guessing you've gotten rid of Greesix and Purpsix, right?" Justy asked. Anabel nodded as she slowly regained her breath. From the corner of her eye, she noticed something rather unusual and frightening about Ash's right hand.

"Aah! Ash! What's wrong with your hand?" Anabel demanded, the sight of its burnt scars terrifying her frantically. "What'd you do to yourself?!" Ash raised his burnt hand in front of his face, trying to come up with an easy way to explain the incident with Houndoom as gently as possible. At the moment, Justy walked past him towards the Shadow Pokémon he and Ash recovered from Resix Ω and Blusix Ω in the corner.

"Told you she wouldn't take it well," he whispered in Ash's ear before leaving to check on the unconscious Houndoom and Walrein.

"Uh, I had a mishap with a Houndoom and its Shadow Fire…?" Ash suggested meekly, shrugging his arms up since he could not think of any other way to say it. It undeniably did not help the troubling situation with Anabel at the very least. Her lilac eyes widened even more and her gaping mouth slightly trembled. Hearing about the implication of Houndoom and knowing that its flames would forever bestow pain and a permanent burn upon the victim nearly made the worrying Salon Maiden faint. Gallade had fortunately caught up with Anabel and caught her before she fell back onto the unforgiving ground.

"_Master Ash, what did you do to her?_" Gallade asked harshly, astonished from the interaction between his former master and his fainting lady.

"Why is everyone blaming _me_ all of a sudden?" Ash announced in frustration, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I save a friend from a Houndoom's fire and _I'm_ the bad guy all of a sudden because of it?"

"_You know that she really worries about you_," Gallade stated, adjusting Anabel's upper weight in his arms for a more comfortable support for both of them. "_I would be more careful around her if I were you, Master Ash._"

"Hmph, I see that you're just as reckless as can be," a familiar cold, blunt tone remarked. Paul had walked up the stairs and passed the Pre Gym with his hands kept in his pockets casually. He approached Ash, Gallade, and the fainted Anabel in his arms. He looked at the latter skeptically, smirking before looking his optimistic rival in the eye. "I wonder how you, of all people, made her like this."

"All I did was that I showed my burnt hand to her and said that a Houndoom's flames had its way with it," Ash explained, not understanding why everyone was disturbed by the news. Anabel had lifted her head back up after recovering from her shock, only to see Ash's disfigured right hand unwittingly presented in front of her face. Greatly terrified from the sight once again, her head suddenly collapsed back into unconsciousness. Ash and Paul had noticed her reaction; the latter's smirk stretching rather unkindly further across his tan face. "Oh, geez…"

"Nice one," Paul commented, closing his eyes in satisfaction.

Ash, Paul, and Gallade heard footsteps coming near them from the east. Rounding around the Phenac Pre Gym was Alakazam, whose entire facial expression highlighted its intense mental focus. Its eyes were brightly glowing with psychic power and its arms and spoons made some sort of peculiar motion directing something to them. That very something was an overinflated Swalot, levitating under Alakazam's control. The Psi Pokémon slowly advanced forward with one foot past the next, making sure that it still kept Swalot in its telekinetic control. A few stressful veins bulged from its forehead, but Alakazam still kept going.

"Why is Alakazam having trouble carrying a Shadow Swalot?" Ash asked, scratching the side of his head with a finger. "It can't be because it's larger than normal."

"_Swalot is carrying a guest_," Gallade explained, making a hand motion to Alakazam that it could place Swalot on the ground. "_Swalot, you can open up now._"

"Swa!" Swalot coughed, spitting out its supposed package: an irritated Shadow Shiftry. The bizarre and rather disgusting sight nearly made both Ash and Paul sick to their stomachs. The two young men shook their heads, brushing away their mutual distaste of the sight and got back to the main topic on hand.

"Shiftry, Shift Shiftry," Shiftry mumbled, brusquely wiping off Swalot's saliva off its long white mane.

"I see what's going on," Paul said, sounding somewhat impressed by the improvisation, but still kept his rough smirk. "Because Shiftry's a Dark-type, Alakazam's Psychic won't affect it. Well, not directly at least. If it was inside something that can be levitated by Psychic, then Swalot was the obvious choice if you wanted to bring both of the Shadow Pokémon with you."

"Wow! That's _really_ creative," Ash commented; his tone astounded.

"Hmph… If you wanted to save yourself some grief and some brain cells, you should have just taken their Poké Balls along with you… like me," Paul taunted, presenting the two Poké Balls containing his acquired Shadow Pokémon as proof. Ash stepped back, surprised that Paul managed to attain the Poké Balls without much of a struggle with their captors.

"Wait a minute… What happened to the Hexagon Brothers _you_ fought, Paul?" Ash queried; his auburn eyes wide. Paul released a brisk grunt, looking away from his demanding inquirer. "Paul?" The surly Veilstone Trainer closed his eyes tightly, refusing to look at him and answer him back because he would rather not face the outcome of it. Ash was so predictable with learning bad news. "Paul, you're not going to make this easier."

"If it'll get you to _shut up_, then it looks like you've got me," Paul grumbled, slightly raising his arms up in surrender. "But first…" He enlarged the two Poké Balls in his hand and tossed them in the air. They promptly opened up and revealed the Shadow Pokémon he rescued in a bright white flash, Ampharos and Claydol. The Shadow Pokémon materialized on the ground, their stomachs pressed against it and their expressions asleep somewhat in pain.

"I'm guessing you had Darkrai's help in putting them asleep," Ash pointed out with Paul's confirming nod. The latter began to smirk from remembering about everything that went on in his last battle, up to its gruesome finale.

"That… and something else," Paul added darkly, his smirk exuding an eerie vibe. Ash was bewildered about what his rival meant about using Darkrai's power on something else. The answer slowly dawned upon him after considering Paul's rather brutal battle tactics and his lack of remorse towards lowlife criminals like the Hexagon Brothers Ω. His mouth gaped, breathing out in small gasps of horror-struck incredulity.

"I'd _probably_ figured out what you did, but please tell you _did not_," Ash begged, his body trembling slightly. Paul's smirk turned into a scowl, unimpressed on his sickened reaction.

"Let's just say those two lowlife losers are going to need _a lot_ of therapy once they wake up," Paul simplified cryptically, folding his arms across his tough chest and turning away gruffly from his supposedly greatest rival. _Childish fool doesn't understand what measures must be taken to teach these criminal scum a lesson. If he keeps going easy on them like he always does, nothing will ever be done unless I take charge! How pathetic…_

"Uh, guys…?" a gentle voice moaned. Anabel was finally waking up from her second fainting spell, rubbing her soft head to stir her awake. Ash came to her aid and helped her back on her feet from Gallade's protective arms, making sure he did not use or show off his scorched hand in front of her again. "Ash?"

"I'm here for you, Anabel," Ash confirmed, holding her up with his hands on her back.

"Give me your hand please," she requested; her facial expression sober. "Your _disfigured_ hand, if you please."

"Anabel, are you sure about this?"

"I'm feeling better now, but thanks for asking anyway. I think I can heal it completely from its nasty burn with Cresselia's power, give or take a few minutes."

"Really?" Ash asked; his tone sounded rather uncertain. Anabel was confused, raising a thin lavender eyebrow. "Well, I think the burned hand gives me a sort of rugged warrior look, don't you think so too?" The Salon Maiden glared disapprovingly into his eyes, reprimanding him for his silly fantasy while Paul shook his head and keeping his amusement from the situation to himself. It was apparent that she did not think so; the burnt hand was liable to fall under the category of a stupid mistake rather than a brave sacrifice. "I guess you really don't if you're going to keep looking at me like that… Ugh!"

"Please give me your hand, Ash," Anabel pleaded, sounding worried and even desperate. Her lilac eyes shimmered and from the looks of her body in Ash's eyes only, it was slowly shaking in desolation.

The young Aura Guardian hated to see her in such a despairing state. He grudgingly moved his right hand from his back and presented it to her. Before Anabel looked at it, she immediately clasped it with her own pastel hands. Surprisingly, her cool touch and soft sensation did not provoke any lingering pain from Houndoom's cursed hellfire within his hand, especially when she removed the charred remains of his fingerless glove off of his hand. Ash continued to watch in breathless amazement as the Salon Maiden began working her magic on his injured hand. Anabel examined his hand carefully and rather affectionately as hues of red started to glow radiantly in her pale cheeks and her eyes glimmered tenderly over the hand that protected so many lives. In spite of the burnt tissue and dried blood left from the Shadow Fire, she felt with her own two hands the real warmth and sturdy touch of his hand; the sensations he left with her at the Battle Tower before traveling to Sinnoh were still there. She wanted to preserve the beauty and power of such a perfect sculpture that she greatly regarded as her own beloved one. After admiring and loving the inner beauty of Ash's disfigured hand, Anabel focused herself on her real mission. Energy colored in a light shade of lavender started to emanate from her fingertips and quickly engulfed his entire hand. Like the Salon Maiden had explained earlier, the process of using Cresselia's power to heal took a few minutes. While the burnt-off flesh grew back and the regeneration of the cells accelerated, it was only a matter of time until Ash's right hand was restored into its former healthy glory. Even Paul could not help but glance slightly and watch the progression himself over Ash's shoulder, much to Anabel's pride.

"Are you done yet?" Paul asked impatiently after four minutes had passed. "We still need Ash to purify the Shadow Pokémon. And Justy's just coming around with Walrein and Houndoom."

"This is a delicate procedure, Paul," Anabel explained, nearly finished with Ash's hand. "One wrong move and the damage could be… _irreversible_." Paul smirked at the last word she said, teasing her by forming a tiny Dark Void on the tip of his right index finger. Anabel caught a glance of him, glowering at his predicted arrangement. "Try it and I'll make _your_ _life_ a living nightmare." He nodded and dispelled the Dark Void, yet he still kept his enigmatic smirk.

"Just wipe up your drool once you're finished up with his hand," Paul quipped, walking away towards Justy. Anabel brushed his insult off and completed her business with the recovery. Ash's hand never looked better. It had been restored into its strong, protective splendor. The owner of the hand was most pleased.

"Thank you very much, Anabel," Ash said, attempting to retract his mended hand back. Much to his surprise, it was still in Anabel's firm grip and now very close to her pale face. Her eyes were closed, her expression read as though she was dreaming a sweet dream. She relished the restored feeling of his resilient hand on her cheek, sighing tenderly. It became somewhat obvious to Ash that she wanted a bit more from him than his attention and his passion for romance. "Uh, Anabel?" His call snapped her awake, to her sadness. To make up for his action, Ash pulled her right hand toward him and kissed the back of it.

"Oh, Ash…," Anabel sighed, blushing furiously red from either embarrassment or love; possibly both. "I'm sorry I took too much of your time. It's just that…"

"That we haven't had much 'personal time' together?" Ash suggested. Anabel nodded slowly, astounded that he had hit the nail on the head, so to speak. "I guess I'm the one who should apologize for not paying much attention to you, but we _do_ have a world to save. Maybe we can find some time in Agate Village after we see the Relic Stone."

"I'd like that," Anabel replied, embracing him as her confirmation.

"You'd know what _I'd_ like?" Paul's voice barked edgily. The empathetic couple quickly noticed Paul and Justy coming towards them with the addition of Houndoom and Walrein. "I'd like to be on my way and disband Reverse-Cipher." Ash sighed at his rival's impatience and forced himself out of Anabel's arms, much to her vexation.

"Gather the Shadow Pokémon together and I'll do the rest," Ash requested, focusing his powerful aura into his hands. The palms of his hands radiated in ethereal blue flames. As he prepared for Aura Purification, Anabel, Paul, and Justy rounded up the fortunately compliant Shadow Pokémon into a huddled group behind the Pre Gym. Houndoom, Walrein, Shiftry, Swalot, Ampharos, and Claydol tolerantly stood back to back against each other, waiting for the final key to open the doors to their hearts and finally cure them of their accursed ShadowPokérus.

"They're willing and waiting, Ash," Justy explained, crossing his arms and taking a few steps back to see how he would restore their humanity back to them. "I've really got to see this for myself."

"I should have brought my camera," Anabel scolded herself. Paul gave her a cynical look, shaking his head and looking away afterwards.

"Then you'd better hold onto your hair, Justy, because this is going to be one wild ride!" Ash exclaimed, standing before the group of Shadow Pokémon and casted his arms forward. Paul, Anabel, Pikachu, Gallade, and Alakazam watched from the side along with Justy, their visions intent and concise. Their combined black aura was already fleeing from their bodies, fearful of the legendary light that was its ultimate bane. His aura intensified to the point the Shadow Pokémon's eyes were unable to stay open without going blind. Even at a fair distance, "Guys, get ready… It's Aura Purification time!"

Ash widely stretched his fingers out, encompassing as much of the Shadow Pokémon he could in his range. His unique aura, inherited from the legendary hero, Sir Aaron, was cast over the group trapped in the shadows of Reverse-Cipher's artificial virus. In front of the eyes of the observing crowd that ranged from Ash's allies to Phenac City's townspeople, his potent blue aura swirled and surrounded the Pokémon like a twister. The Pokémon were immobilized as the purification process began to take effect. The remnants of the black aura that were not burned out during battle were expelled and purged as Ash's aura surged through their pliant bodies. They strained themselves to remain conscious during the Aura Purification, just like the Aura Guardian himself. Ash had no problem doing this; purifying became second nature to him under Riley's harsh training. The darkness of the aura transfigured into a natural light green that flew back into their respective Pokémon. The purification became a success as the following moment became a silent one filled in awe.

"That… was… mind-boggling," Justy commented, his eyes still wide from witnessing the procedure. "Ash has some powerful aura, for sure." Anabel overheard him and giggled slightly.

"One of the many reasons I love him and his amazing aura," Anabel stated, winking. A loud round of applause had chorused from the sides as the Phenac townspeople had begun to revere and recognize Ash as their possible third savior. They showered him with many praises and accolades, much to the young Aura Guardian's sheepish embarrassment and humility. Pikachu ran back and resumed his place on his shoulder while Anabel recalled Gallade into his Poké Ball. Alakazam disappeared for some reason not even Gallade knew, at least as far as Anabel knew.

"You do them one favor and they think you're their best friend for life," Paul muttered coldly, not even opening his stern eyes. "This is why I want to get this over with and finally beat _him_ in battle, just so that I'd finally have peace and quiet." As the crowd began to disperse and resume their regular lives and to repair the slight damage the Hexagon Brothers Ω had left in their wake, Paul walked forward and approached the Pokémon he rescued. He immediately pulled out his dark-blue Pokédex and scanned Ampharos and Claydol for their attacks, abilities, and strengths. Ash noticed this familiar gesture and shook his head frowningly.

"Paul, I thought you were behind all this!" Ash complained, shrugging his hands up to express more of his bewilderment of his rival's former ways.

"Hmph… They say old habits die hard," Paul retorted, keeping his eyes on the screen of his Pokédex. "Besides, I'm not going to let these Pokémon pass me by."

"What do you mean? Won't they still belong to their respective Hexagon Brother if you still kept their Poké Balls?" Ash inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"After all this time, you still haven't toyed with much of the Shadow Pokémon," Paul sneered, closing up his Pokédex in his hand and placing it back in his pocket. "You should know that while a Pokémon is still a 'Shadow Pokémon,' the OT is blurred out." Ash looked incredulously at his rival as though he was spouting unforgiving nonsense. "That's right. Something about the Pokémon's Shadow condition erases the Poké Ball's internal record of the Original Trainer that caught it."

"How do you know this much without talking to anyone else about it?"

"I discovered it when I examined my captured Fearow in front of your Battle Facility, if you still remember that day," Paul explained, forming a forbidding scowl on his hardened face. "I still haven't forgiven you for that loss that day. And while you _did_ take on the Elite Four of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, I began some of my own experiments on this mysterious Fearow and where it obtained its unusual power. Hmph, if anyone had found out that Fearow did not officially belong to me, who knows what would happen _now_? Anyway, it led me right to none other than the Team Rocket Headquarters, where those losers and Cipher were about to finish working on their Shadow Giratina." As Paul continued to explain to Ash how he became entangled in their affairs and ultimately his fate intertwining with Ash's, the latter could only look thunderstruck while finding new respect for his rude rival.

"That's quite a tale, Paul," Ash commented, regaining his breath from listening to his rather tragic explanation, "but I would let Ampharos and Claydol decide on whether they want to join you or not." Paul sneered at his proposal, looking away and recalling Ampharos and Claydol into their blank Poké Balls. The records acknowledged Paul as the OT. Soon enough, the two Poké Balls containing the rescued Pokémon dematerialized into thin air, much to Ash's shock. "Where'd they go?!"

"To Reggie, of course," Paul said curtly. "Now if you don't mind, and I'm sure you _don't_ mind at all, I'll be waiting by our Robo rides outside this city. If I needed a Pokémon from Reggie, I would have called him by now." As expected from his dark demeanor, Paul turned his back and calmly went to the south exit, hands silently kept in his pockets. Ash saw him off, keeping his concerns about the ever estranged Paul to himself.

_Why's he becoming so distant all of a sudden?_ Ash asked himself, still feeling his lingering coldness penetrating him. As he briefly meditated on the seemingly inconsequential problem, Anabel and Justy approached him while glancing at the remaining purified Pokémon.

"I wonder if that means that we can also keep them if Paul's allowed to walk away with them," Anabel mused, looking upon the Pokémon she rescued. Swalot and Shiftry exchanged glances quietly before staring back at her with bewilderment in their eyes. "Well Swalot, your Poké Ball was destroyed. Shiftry, I think your Poké Ball is still lying around somewhere in the city.

_Here_, a telepathic voice called out from within Anabel's mind. The Salon Maiden discovered Alakazam by her side, holding out a rather dusty Poké Ball. She could only presume it was Shiftry's. "Ala Alakazam." Alakazam briefly explained that it momentarily teleported back to their battle sight and saved her the grief of finding it; it was a rather thoughtful gesture.

"Thank you for finding it, my friend," Anabel complemented. She slightly embraced the Psi Pokémon around the head with her thin arms and returned it into its Poké Ball. Ash came over with his red Pokédex on hand, examining Shiftry's Poké Ball.

"There's no registered Trainer for Shiftry on that Poké Ball, just like Paul said," Ash surmised, closing the device within his hand. "So I guess Shiftry's pretty much yours if you both agree on it. I'm not sure about Swalot, though." He noticed that Swalot was no longer among the remaining group of purified Pokémon. He and Anabel quickly found the Poison Bag Pokémon enjoying play time with the children of Phenac City, allowing them to play off its elastic and bouncy body. "That answers Swalot's predicament. I think it prefers being an entertainer for children, which leaves…" All looks fell upon Shiftry; the Wicked Pokémon was waiting for the question from Anabel herself.

"Shiftry, do you want to travel with me and save other Pokémon trapped in the shadows as you once was?" Anabel asked earnestly, gazing deep into Shiftry's cold eyes. Shiftry looked at her meaningful expression, learning that unlike its previous captor, she was truly kind and honest in her words. Shiftry took a deep breath, softened its look, and placed a leaf-hand upon the side of her face sensitively.

"Shift," Shiftry accepted, closing its eyes and grinning lightheartedly. Anabel's gaping mouth shaped into a great big smile, receiving a strong pat on the back by Ash. The force nearly pushed her over, but that did not matter to her; after all, she planned to move forward and gave Shiftry a hug for its willing acceptance anyway.

"Oh, Shiftry, you remind me of the many awesome Pokémon living back at Tohjo Falls!" Anabel exclaimed, holding Shiftry's blank Poké Ball over it. "I promise you won't regret this!" The Salon Maiden lightly tapped the Poké Ball on Shiftry's forehead, converting the entire body structure of the Wicked Pokémon into red energy and containing it within the spherical capture unit. According to the Pokédex, Shiftry was officially part of Anabel's team. "Yes! My new friend… It's Shiftry!"

"It's awesome that you got a Shiftry, Anabel," Ash praised, closing his Pokédex back up again, "but since you already have six Pokémon, where would your extra Pokémon go?"

"In any case that the seven original Frontier Brains caught a Pokémon when he or she already has a full team, the captured Pokémon is automatically sent to Scott for safekeeping," Anabel explained, watching Shiftry's occupied Poké Ball disappear as did Paul's new Ampharos and Claydol. "We just have to make a call to Scott for him to send the Pokémon to us. Since I'm no longer at the Battle Tower and can't take care of it at home, my reserved Pokémon are kept and taken cared of by Scott."

"Huh… Well that's interesting to know," Ash remarked nonchalantly, glancing at the two remaining Pokémon. "I guess it's mine and Justy's turn to choose. After all, it's fair that we divvy up our earnings, assuming our earnings want to be with us."

"I think that they won't mind being with you guys, considering the lengths you went to rescue them," Anabel surmised from reading their current emotions. Justy had already extended a friendly olive branch out to Houndoom and Walrein, unable to decide which one he would want to partner with. "By the way, want to stop by the Pokémon Center and switch out Pokémon with Professor Oak while I call Scott for Shiftry? I want to try to bond with Shiftry while you can try out your new Pokémon."

"That sounds like a great plan, Anabel," Ash concurred, nodding and grinning.

"Hey, Ash, have any preference of which one you'd like to accompany you in your ultimate adventure?" Justy inquired, petting Houndoom's head gingerly. The Dark Pokémon growled softly to the soothing touch, urging the Phenac Pre Gym Leader to scratch behind its horns.

"He'll take Walrein!" Anabel suggested bluntly before anyone had the chance to answer.

"But what if I want Houndoom to help me instead?" Ash proposed. The hypothetical decision to bring Houndoom along caused the Salon Maiden to pout. She folded her arms and pretended to look away coldly, but to a lesser extent than Paul's usual coldness.

"Oh, I see… You just want to burn your hand again for that 'macho man' look, don't you?!" Anabel declared. Ash stumbled backwards at her accusation while nearly throwing Pikachu off his shoulder, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"You think another accident with Houndoom would happen again?!"

"Ash, as much as I'd love to heal your injuries, the continuous regeneration of your cells from Cresselia's power would greatly shorten out your entire life-span. That's not a risk I'm taking on you, got it? I know you, Ash Ketchum. I'm _not_ going to be the one responsible for your d-de—you know where I'm getting at!"

"Give me a break! I'm not _that_ reckless anymore…, am I?" Ash queried.

"Well, aside from saving me and accidentally throwing your hand in the middle of Houndoom's Shadow Fire, you _did_ try to catch Pidgeot with your own arms when it was free falling out of an explosion," Justy added, unknowingly confirming Anabel's worries. The Salon Maiden simply refused to look at any of them now, keeping her arms crossed resolutely.

"That wasn't helping at all, Justy," Ash pointed out, his tone irritated. Justy chuckled nervously at the awkwardness he inadvertently created, shrugging his arms up and stopped offering his supposed help. _I'm probably going to hate myself for this in the end, but then again, it doesn't seem too bad._ Ash sighed deeply and prepared to swallow his pride by announcing the Pokémon he would be taking with him. "Anabel, you still listening over there?"

"Mm-hmm," Anabel grunted rather tersely. Ash took another deep breath, preparing his following speech in his mind as professionally as possible.

"After thoroughly considering the individual strengths and benefits of Houndoom and Walrein, as well as _your feelings and concerns_, I've decided to go with Walrein after all," Ash announced, bowing his head down in exhaustion from his professional declaration. He suddenly felt a lot livelier upon receiving a tight hug from his sweet, thin lover.

"A wise choice you made," Anabel sighed, snuggling her soft head into Ash's fit chest. Ash placed his wiry arm around her shoulders, guiding her over to his rather influenced choice. Walrein hopped excitedly on its belly and clapped its flippers together, eagerly waiting to join Ash as Justy transferred his new Houndoom into its empty Poké Ball.

"Walrein, I know that we've had some difficulties in battle, but it's as they say, we've grown strong fighting against each other," Ash started. "Now let's grow stronger fighting _together_."

"Pika Pi-ka!" Pikachu concurred.

"Walrein Wal!" Walrein barked happily. Justy handed over Walrein's former Poké Ball, whose internal records were completely wiped out when Walrein became a Shadow Pokémon. As Anabel did with Shiftry, Ash tapped the enlarged Poké Ball on Walrein's head. The Ice Break Pokémon was quickly converted into red energy, retreating inside the Poké Ball and accepted its fate in Ash's protective hands.

"Yes! I got… a Walrein!" Ash proclaimed, proudly holding the Poké Ball high in his famous celebratory pose. Anabel joined him with a victorious pose of her own, lifting her leg up with her arm around his neck. The hand around his neck formed a peace sign while her free hand threw a fist up in the air as he did.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed. Justy smiled at the dramatic sight, thinking that their victory pose together and united was rather cute and warm. They really did _and_ should belong together forever after all.

* * *

**Man, this is probably the longest chapter I've written so far in the **_**Stardom series**_**, and that's not including the author's notes. Anyway, a bit of recap on my part: Ash and Pidgeot reconcile, Paul grows distant from the trio, Ash and Anabel need some private time together, and the three of them receive new Pokémon. It's kinda funny how it all works out, but it's there now. And now a bit of trivia, just for the heck of it. This chapter is composed of rather nostalgic memories from the anime, from Ash's release of Pidgeot to Anabel's small fondness for hands ever since the farewell handshake. Also, if you think about it hard enough after reading this chapter thoroughly, Anabel _sneezed_ at the same time Ash _talked _about her during the battle against Resix and Blusix. In addition, I've read somewhere that Anabel was a photographer in the Special or something when I mentioned the camera thing… not really sure about that, though. **

**Instead of just saying my usual request for a review, I'm just going to say, or type, this instead: Please don't be afraid to give me your feedback on this chapter. Tell me what's on your mind. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	16. Kamon

**Well, I asked for your opinions and I got them. I kind of found them funny for the most part, but I guess that's just me. I know most of you wanted Ash to have a Houndoom, but I have other plans with Justy and Houndoom later on in the tale. Anyway, this chapter will finally focus on Ash's friends currently saving the wild Pokémon in the Johto region. As with Kanto earlier, the purification in Johto is more than halfway completed by dedicated youth of May, Max, Dawn, and Kenny, as well as a special guest or two. I hope all of you still remember these side plots; if not, read back the first chapters or read the prequel for a better understanding and a mind refresher.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

It was as though good fortune had finally smiled upon them. Light was gradually breaking through the darkness of the area they were in. The Ilex Forest had been dark and gloomy for a long time to come, but with the populace of Pokémon infected with the contagious spread of the ShadowPokérus the darkness was no longer recognized as the usual forest darkness. Rather, the murky air and shady ferns altogether created a far more advanced darkness that sent out a foreboding vibe to travelers even from a distance. Such travelers would be worried as the forest contained a special shrine dedicated to the forest's protector. If any disaster were to happen to it, the community built together by both human and Pokémon within Ilex Forest would completely fall apart into anarchy and disorder.

Four young travelers, composed of two Coordinators from the Sinnoh region and a pair of siblings from the Hoenn region, have arrived to quarantine every habitat they could find in the large forest. Equipped with gauntlets composed of blessed rock samples from Agate Village's Relic Stone and Aura Reader eyepieces, the four youth sought out to help their main friend and his chosen allies to weaken Reverse-Cipher's hold on the world, by eliminating the opportunely few inflicted areas of ShadowPokérus and the Pokémon infected by it. They had begun their approach inside the forest after a well-deserved rest back at Azalea Town, heeding Kurt's advice to heart before advancing further into the forest.

"The trees are so close together," Max remarked, attempting to adjust his glasses for a clearer vision. "It's no wonder it's almost always dark here."

"I'm no expert on Johto either, Max, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't always dark," May replied, turning her head around and slowly examining her surroundings. "At least, it wasn't so dark when I traveled here. I'm sure Drew would agree if he was also here."

"Ilex Forest is large enough to accommodate a small village at the very least," Kenny explained. "I'm sure that the ancient travelers would have thought about this very carefully before establishing a community here with the wild forest Pokémon."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that the early settlement did not predict that an insanely evil organization was going to create a very dangerous and contagious strain of the Pokérus and force us kids to clean up their messes," Dawn pointed out, exaggerating her annoyance by waving her arms in the air. "I mean, _no one_ could have foreseen that."

"Dee Dee, you'd think that ancient civilizations _have_ to have some sort of all-knowing Psychic Pokémon to make some hocus-pocus prophecy," Kenny added, his tone rather sardonic. The blue-haired Coordinator groaned in disgust and rubbed her temples with the tips of her thin fingers, unsure over which she was angrier towards: her accursed childhood nickname or Kenny rubbing in her inexperience and ignorance over world history.

"First off, it was just one time, Kenny; just one_ stinking _time!" Dawn cried, flailing her arms angrily. May, Max, and Kenny sidestepped, avoiding inadvertent accidents from her fists. It was assumed among the young group that she was referring to how she earned the nickname. The name itself did not seem bad, but Dawn simply refused to go any deeper. "And second, what makes you think you know as much as you claim to know?"

"It's because you keep falling into his _pathetic_ mind traps, that's why," an unknown voice tainted with rough, rebellious insolence echoed. Several regular Hoothoot and Noctowl departed from the tree branches and chirping out of fear, knowing what pure evil had done to their once peaceful homes.

Kenny quickly covered his mouth shut with both hands, hoping that his Twinleaf childhood friend did not think that he was _that_ mean to her. Dawn already knew that Kenny could not have said such a rude remark, especially since her ears quickly picked out one particular word from the mysterious stranger's vocabulary. She narrowed her eyes and hastily scanned the vicinity, determining where the stranger was hiding amongst the trees and flora. The particular word that gave her a rather accurate guess of the stranger was an insult she knew almost all too well during her travels with Ash and Brock in the Sinnoh region. She almost could not believe that _he_ was here when he was needed elsewhere, given his prophesized role in the grand scheme of life. May and Max had read her face's dire expression, learning that they were not dealing with a particularly friendly face. The four young preteens regrouped close, keeping Poké Balls on hand for any sort of ambush.

"Dawn, what's going on?" May asked urgently, keeping her Blaziken's Poké Ball close to her chest.

"I know only one guy who'd insult any of us with his favorite word," Dawn stated acutely, throwing her Poké Ball in the air out on preservation impulse. The Poké Ball snapped open; in a bright flash of white energy, Mamoswine materialized with a ferocious bellow. "Come on out, you jerk! I can't believe you'd abandon your post for your own selfish needs instead of saving the world!"

"Hmph! Well excuse me for not wanting to play the superhero of your twisted little 'fairy-tale' fantasy," the hidden stranger retorted coldly. Several shrubs shook and the crunching of leaves echoed in the hollow spaces in between the trees. The enigmatic cold one was coming closer and closer to their location.

"Dawn, d-do you kn-kn-know this g-guy…?" Max inquired; his tone was rather fearful and nervous. His small hands trembled with his Kirlia's Poké Ball, making sure it didn't slide out of his hands from the somewhat profuse amount of sweat and break. May stepped closer to him as the protective older sibling, ensuring that nothing was about to harm her younger brother without her interference.

"Oh, come on! It's obvious who this charlatan is!" Dawn shouted irately. The volume of the stranger's motions was at an increase; his dark being advanced closer and closer to them. "Stop scaring us to death and face us like the _man_ you're supposed to be instead of just calling us _pathetic_, Paul!"

"Paul?!" the stranger's callous voice roared disdainfully, frightening the four of them witlessly. "You deluded little girl! How _dare_ you compare _me_ to that good-for-nothing carbon copy! Paul is nothing but a complete _poseur_ compared to _me_!"

The stranger's footsteps on the forest ground stomped towards them furiously. He was manifestly angered by the accusation of being Paul, storming as quickly as could to the secluded section of the forsaken Ilex Forest where they were. Dawn, May, Max, and Kenny huddled closer to each other, back to back. They had not traveled far from the entrance of the Ilex Forest near Azalea Town, but it felt like it was too late to retreat; he was going to get them. Mamoswine stomped in front of them defensively and dragged a back leg along the ground to prepare for a stampede if necessary, protecting its Trainer and her friends as it was meant to do. Whoever the shady person was, he made no attempt at stealth as leaves from the trees floated in several directions and the bushes shuffled back and forth upon their rooted spots. His violent temper and fierce demeanor was palpable. The mutual thought that this stranger was going to somehow ambush them and kill each of them off one at a time was nerve-wrecking for the youth. The four of them can see his haunting silhouette outlined within the pitch darkness of the forest, approaching them without a rush just to make every last second painful for his victims.

At last from what had seemed to be an eternity filled with suspenseful tension and agonizing moments of waiting, the stranger's movement had considerably slowed. He was finally nearby the group of four. Instead of waiting for him to make the first move, Dawn allowed her impatient anger to take control and casted her arm forward for a command.

"Mamoswine, Ice Shard! Go! Go! _Go_!"

"Ma-mooooo!" Mamoswine bellowed, rearing up and forming the glittering ice cold sphere at the center of its large tusks. Frigid air swirled around the Ice Shard like a cosmic nebula cloud of an expansive galaxy. "Ma-mo!" With a forward stomp and grunt, the Twin Tusk Pokémon launched its dazzling Ice Shard forward; its aim at the enigmatic man was perfect.

"You're going to regret doing that," he hissed, leaping away from the ground with amazing expertise and finesse. His shadowy agility left the four young preteens gaping and staring widely at his almost superhuman ability. While he was still in midair from his jump, he took out a Poké Ball and prepared to toss it in front of the protective Mamoswine. "Nidoking, battle standby!"

"Nido!" Nidoking grunted roughly, flexing its armored arms towards its built purple torso.

"Oh, man! That Nidoking looks like it's no pushover," Max commented from a quick examination of the Drill Pokémon that zealously desired to battle the formidable Mamoswine. "There's no telling who will come out as the winner."

"Plus, doesn't Paul own a Nidoking _and_ yell 'Stand by!' when sending out his Pokémon?" Kenny asked in addition. He and the others heard a brusque laugh rumble from the revealed stranger's throat, as well as feeling a sharp glare burn right through them from his piercing eyes.

"He uses 'Stand by for battle,' which is nothing more than a _pathetic_ copied variation of _my_ battle yell," he stated, slowly stepping out from the shade of the tree he took cover under. The brush and branches no longer masked his true appearance. The first part the young group of four saw of the young man was his eyes, so familiarly sharp, cold, and brutal. His sneering expression was reminiscent to that of Paul's common apathetic looks. Even his long red bangs were unexpectedly arranged and pointed around his forehead in a similar way. The young man's long red hair encompassed most of his head, including his ears, and branched out into spikes behind his neck. His oppressive attire consisted of a high collar, formfitting, slick black jacket with thin red outlines on where the zipper and pockets were. Even his jacket's wrist cufflinks were blood red. There was a V-shaped gap from the bottom zipper of his jacket, revealing a rectangular silver belt buckle and a partial look of a gray shirt. His attire below the waist included pants that were also somewhat tight as well and colored in a shade of purple, finally down to a pair of black boots that followed the design scheme of his jacket.

"This guy looks and acts so much like Paul," Dawn remarked, astounded by the critical resemblance the young man made to him. His age looked like even came close to that of the Veilstone Trainer they all knew and disliked to a point. "They could even be twins separated from birth. Man, I feel so sorry for Reggie all of a sudden…"

"Hmph, just because he's more blunt and outspoken in his aggressive battle style than I am doesn't give you the right to compare _me_ to _him_," the dark Trainer stated, pointing at Dawn with burning detest for her careless assumptions. "I'm my own Trainer, see?"

"If you're your own Trainer, then give us your name so that we won't have to keep calling you 'Paul'!" Max declared, suddenly being held back by his astonished sister.

"Max, you're going to get really hurt if you keep acting out recklessly!" May scolded, tightly embracing her brother to prevent him from getting into even more trouble. "If this guy's as dangerous as Paul, then we'll have to fight for our lives just to stay alive. There's no escaping a guy like _him_!"

"Again with the lame comparison?" he queried mockingly.

"Just tell us your name now and we promise not to hurt you," Kenny demanded with a Poké Ball cast in front, desperately attempting to hide his uncontrollably shaking knees. The mysterious young man smirked, easily seeing through his false bravado while finding the prey rather amusing to retaliate.

"My _real_ name is not important to you insignificant children," he taunted, retracting his hand back and placing it on his hip. "You only deserve my _nickname_. You can call me 'Silver,' got that?"

"Silver?" Max repeated; his eyes were wide with amusement. "What kind of name is that?" Silver looked away indifferently, still retaining his bothersome, arrogant smirk.

"Don't tell me you're jealous of such a cool nickname, shrimp," Silver scoffed, chuckling in a sinister way to himself and flipping the tufts of red bangs off his forehead. When it came to a battle of dark wits and cool charms, he would be the last to lose control of his temper. Max, despite his great knowledge and know-it-all attitude, was struggling against his dangerous mind game and refused to swallow his pride to the stranger.

"You sound more like a metal than a human!" Max retorted hastily, provoking more superfluous protection from his sister's arms. "Ack! May!"

"That's just what makes _me_ so unique," Silver replied, flipping his hair again. He was as cold and cool as a cactus. It was becoming evident that he had way more experience in dealing with the dark side of humanity than he led on to the small group. He looked like a rogue of sorts hiding in the shadows, waiting for his prey to lull themselves into a false sense of security. The problem was that he was not hiding at all. He was eager to fight back, and with brute strength if necessary. Max was not about to surrender his pride to him, yet.

"Unique? It makes you more like… a freak!" Max proclaimed defiantly.

"Max! You're going to get us all _killed_!" May whispered austerely into his ear, shaking him by the shoulders dreadfully. Silver, for a mysterious character, was rather amused and impressed by the eleven year-old kid's spunk. He folded his arms across his chest and glared sharply through his glasses and into the recesses of his soul.

"Better a freak than a _pathetic _weakling with _pathetic _Pokémon," Silver replied coolly, his tone condescending, yet lightly eloquent. He smirked at the furious kid whose bigheaded ego had been severely crushed by a few cold insults on a level tone.

"I'm _not_ weak!" Max cried, wrathfully taking a new Poké Ball from his belt, which subsequently replaced Kirlia's Poké Ball on hand. He was not about to let the rather scornful Silver get away with such abuse towards him and his friends like that. "Sceptile, let's go!" With a fervent toss, the Poké Ball was sent spinning like a buzz saw in the air; it snapped open with a sort of white energy emerging from the capturing sphere. The whiteness took the form of Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon.

"Scep Sceptile," Sceptile grunted, baring its forearms and sharp leaves in front of it. It joined Mamoswine alongside Silver's lone Nidoking, ready to double team upon it and force the dark Trainer to take back his cold affront. Silver raised an eyebrow from examining the odds of his Nidoking against a Mamoswine and a Sceptile.

"Still think you can defeat me?" Silver asked; his tone was confident despite of the two strong Pokémon against him. "Or would you like to increase my odds even more by adding more Pokémon?" The four young preteens glared at him and his equally arrogant Nidoking. May and Kenny stepped forth with a Poké Ball on hand, greatly desiring to send Silver into his place.

"Blaziken, take the stage!"

"Empoleon, you're on!"

Both avian-like Pokémon materialized out of the bright flashes of their respective Poké Balls, taking their places next to Mamoswine and Sceptile. Blaziken powered up next to Mamoswine, igniting its fiery wristbands with a hearty shout. Kenny's Empoleon bared the three sharp claws on each gleaming flipper as Sceptile had with its leaves. The four third-staged Pokémon glowered upon the lone Nidoking, who still did not waver in spite of the powerhouses facing against it. The Drill Pokémon was either fiercely well-trained or it merely liked taunting little Trainers with its Trainer. Silver walked forward next to his Nidoking with crossed arms, the expression of his face turning sour with grim contempt.

"As much as I liked to host play time, I've got better things to do than to play with you," Silver said, his narrowed eyes leered frigidly. "Nidoking, Earthquake!"

"Nidooooo!" Nidoking bellowed, raising its muscled arms high above its head.

The Drill Pokémon abruptly slammed upon the ground before it. The tremendous impact created not only a brief quake that nearly threw the group and their Pokémon off their feet, but sent out several visible shockwaves spreading out along the earth. The bright earth ripples glided along the ground smoothly and swiftly, crashing into the four opposing Pokémon and sending them roughly along the ground on their backs. Empoleon, however, received the full blunt of the Earthquake due to its slow weight and great weakness to a Ground-type attack. Furthermore, the Emperor Pokémon was built for Contests and Appeals, not vigorous Gym battles and such. It collapsed onto its knees before ultimately succumbing to the quick and painless defeat that it suffered.

"Empoleon, return!" Kenny cried, recalling his Empoleon quickly before Silver's Nidoking could torment it even more. He gazed upon the Poké Ball pensively, lowering his head in shameful humility. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you…"

"Kenny, don't blame yourself like this because of Empoleon's defeat," Dawn interrupted. Kenny looked up at her, slightly astounded by her encouragement. "If there's anyone to blame, then it's that brat, Silver." Kenny hummed quietly, his mouth half closed. Though they were only a few words spoken in a resolute outlook, he smiled back to her and nodded in appreciation for her comfort.

"Thanks, Dawn. Kick his butt once for me!"

"No problem," Dawn winked. Her reassuring smile froze into a determined frown upon resuming her attention back on the problem with Silver and his Nidoking. "You're going to pay for making my friend suffer like that! Mamoswine, use Take Down!"

_Hmph, I'm shaking in my boots_, Silver thought sarcastically, smirking and baring a sort of wicked snarl at the side of his mouth. "Earth Power!"

"Nido!" Nidoking grunted, smashing the ground with a glowing armored hand. The radiating light was bright yellow, causing the earth to crack towards the stampeding Mamoswine. The glowing cracks slithered towards the Twin Tusk Pokémon and trapped the flabbergasted gargantuan in place. The golden radiance and gradual force build-up had become too much for Mamoswine to handle. The shimmering power erupted from the cracks explosively, forcing Mamoswine off the ground and into a painful submission.

"Aah! Not you too!" Dawn cried in distressed, her hand trembling near her gaping mouth. Her other hand held out Mamoswine's Poké Ball and quickly recalled the defeated Twin Tusk Pokémon. May slid in right in front of her, shoes dragging to a halt; she ardently wanted to avenge for her close friend's sudden downfall.

"You're not going to get away with this twice, Silver!" May declared heatedly. "Blaziken, jump so that Nidoking's Ground attacks can't touch you and use Blaze Kick!"

"Blaziken!" Blaziken bellowed, garnering power for its jump with a squat of its muscular legs. At the precise moment it felt that it gained the right amount of power, the Blaze Pokémon leapt off several feet in the air, surpassing the height of the tallest trees in Ilex Forest. Even from the outside of the forest was nothing a murky cover as Blaziken's Trainer and her friends still had an obligation to fulfill. The only obstacle that was impeding their main responsibilities and promises to Ash was a surly red-haired Trainer who claimed that Paul copied his original personality and preferences for Pokémon. "Blaaaaaze!" Glancing down at Nidoking several feet below, Blaziken ignited its right leg on fire and dove back down headfirst. Its lustrous and pointed red mask appendage pierced though the air, allowing a quicker descent and a greater momentum for the Blaze Pokémon's Blaze Kick.

"Swat that chicken down with your tail!"

"Nido!" Nidoking grunted, narrowing its crossed eyes upon the sole fiery target diving towards it. The Drill Pokémon swung its arms across its burly torso as an anticipative gesture of excitement. "Ni-do…" Nidoking growled darkly, crouching lower as Blaziken was about near it and swing its flame leg right upon its head.

"Blaziken, do it!"

"Blaz-i-ken!" Blaziken shouted, maneuvering around in the airspace above Nidoking and bringing its powerful Blaze Kick to the left side of the Drill Pokémon's head. Nidoking's head was strongly forced to the right, but despite the power of the Blaze Kick's impact, the rest of its body did not budge from the ground. Instead, a wicked snarl curved upon the attacked side of Nidoking's head. Blaziken, who was still in midair from unleashing the attack, widened its eyes in shock as an apprehensive grunt escaped its gaping mouth.

"Ni-do!" Nidoking roared, twisting its entire body in the same direction its head was kicked and swung its large tail to intercept the astonished Blaziken. The Blaze Pokémon was slammed into a tree, noticeably cracking off the bark and smashing a crater in the shape of its back upon collision.

"Blaaaaze!" Blaziken groaned; its own limber back was curving beyond its limits from the strong tail smack. A noticeably loud fracture was heard coming from Blaziken's spine as its head and legs bent around the large cylindrical trunk.

"No! Blaziken!" May cried, horror-struck.

"Finish it with Double Kick!"

Blaziken was still trapped onto the tree by the force of Nidoking's tail, unable to escape from the looming attack from Nidoking. Even if it was free from the invisible power that kept its body suspended upon the tree, the Blaze Pokémon's back was agonizingly bent out of shape from the impact. The last thing Blaziken was able to see, albeit with diluted vision, was the oncoming large, purple creature with thick glowing hind legs directed towards it. Blaziken was slowly losing consciousness, even when Nidoking had kicked its rock-hard feet twice into its vulnerable abdomen, one foot after the other. A few of its tan feathers were sent aloft in the murky atmosphere within the Ilex Forest. With the deed done, Nidoking jumped off into a short back-somersault, proudly observing the defeat of a somewhat better opponent as Blaziken finally slid out of its back-shaped crater and onto the ground, motionless and in pain.

"Blaziken, return," May mumbled, recalling her brave Starter Pokémon with a heavy heart. She gave the red top of the Poké Ball a soft kiss, gazing over it with iridescent blue eyes. "You did your best. I promise you that we'll heal you up as soon as possible."

"You think Blaziken did its best?" Silver mocked, having overheard her praise for her fainted Blaze Pokémon. May, Dawn, and Kenny glared disdainfully at him for his cruel offenses. Silver curved the bottom of his lip for a bit before speaking the following phrases to the young heroes; it was just plain fun for him messing with them. "'Hang on. I believe in you.' Do you think that alone will help you win? You think that's all that makes up a Pokémon's power?"

"You're not out of this yet, Silver!" Max declared. Sceptile leapt in front of him, baring its sharp leaves as a gesture of protection. "Sceptile and I are still here. Your Nidoking can't get away after consecutively taking on my sister's Blaziken, Dawn's Mamoswine, and Kenny's Empoleon. This ends now! Sceptile, go!"

"Sceptile!" Sceptile grunted, leaping forth in the air towards the waiting Nidoking.

"You've definitely got spunk if you still think you can beat _me_," Silver commented unperturbedly, his hands resting on his hips casually. "Double Kick! Now!"

"Nido!" Nidoking bellowed, jumping high in the air to intercept Sceptile with the power of its armored hind legs, just as it had done with Blaziken.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade to counter it!"

"Sceeeeep…!" Sceptile growled, storing its natural green energy into the sharp leaves attached to its wrists. The bright green energy unsheathed into blade form on the Forest Pokémon's arms. Casting its arms forward with mighty Leaf Blades as its main power, Sceptile braced its entire body as its attack neared the predicted collision with Nidoking's Double Kick. "Scep-tile!" A sharp clang echoed in the hollow area of Ilex Forest, the result from the colliding forces of Sceptile's keen leaves and Nidoking's cast-iron feet. The two large figures were discovered in the sky, having passed through the other with their respective attacks at the highest point of their individual leaps under the spherical projection of the dim sun.

"Now use Quick Attack, Sceptile!"

"Scep!" Sceptile grunted, redirecting its position in the Drill Pokémon's direction. With a burst of energy, Sceptile dove towards Nidoking, its speedy trail outlined by its bright energy output. The Forest Pokémon tackled against Nidoking's back, though the attack itself was not strong itself, their descent to the earth had quickened. Sceptile had allowed gravity to finish what it started, subjecting Nidoking onto the cold ground with a hard thud and its entire weight pressed on its muscular, spiky back.

"Excellent work, Sceptile!" Max cheered. He glimpsed closely at Silver's face, expecting to see a grimace over Nidoking's fall. But instead of a distant frown or an aloof scowl, a sinister smirk formed at the corner of his stone cold lips. "What the…?"

"Before you go on looking at me, look closely at your once proud Sceptile," Silver advised, his tone unemotional. Max reluctantly had done so; he discovered that his Sceptile was breathing heavily and its extreme exhaustion made it prone to faint at any time. Purple energy steadily crackled around Sceptile's body from head to toe. "Sceptile's collision into Nidoking caused it to be poisoned. You _are_ aware how potent and unpredictable Poison Point can be, _right_?" At the exact moment he enunciated his condescending query, Nidoking stood back up from its self-made crater. The Drill Pokémon looked like it was barely scratched from Sceptile's attacks and its strategy.

"Uhhh…"

"Max, don't let that get to you," May whispered sternly, pulling him close to her by his ear. "You're the only one now who stands a chance against that creep. Sceptile's only as strong as you are. Silver's Nidoking can't take much more, especially from the clever tactic you and Sceptile pulled."

"Actually, Sceptile was the one who improvised the fall on Nidoking," Max stated honestly, scratching the back of his head. "I just told it to use Quick Attack, that's all."

"See what I mean? You trusted Sceptile that it would give Nidoking a run for its money now. You can do it, Max!"

"You're an awesome Trainer, Max!" Dawn praised, clasping her hands to her chest and smiling modestly.

"You'd even make Ash proud, bro," Kenny added, giving the younger Trainer a good-mannered thumbs-up with his left arm behind his head. Max looked at each of the three older Coordinators with admiration and respect. There was no way he felt like giving up now, especially to a formidable opponent like Silver. There was no way he was going to let Sceptile and his other Pokémon down. Max nodded once, resolutely standing firm and strong against their dark adversary.

"You guys are right," Max said, clenching his fists together righteously. "I'm going to beat Silver for all of us!" The three Coordinators were proud of their little, or not so little, Trainer fighting for their lives. With a simultaneous nod from the three of them, the younger Trainer turned back around and faced the impassive Silver. The surly opponent looked rather impatient and irritated from the wait. "Are you ready, Silver?"

"I was wondering when you'd stop acting like a baby and grow up," Silver sneered, his piercing eyes crooked.

"Call me whatever you want, but when _my Pokémon_ wins, you have to tell us your _real_ name," Max declared, pointing decisively upon Silver himself. "Sceptile, can you still keep going?"

"Scep," Sceptile grunted, weakly holding an arm up.

"Good! Then we're going to have to hit them hard and quick. Sceptile, use Quick Attack once more!"

As his command resonated within the empty gaps between the trees and cowering fauna waiting for certain doom in the form on an artificial virus, Sceptile's body had been emanating a greenish aura. Max, his sister, and their friends watched in awe upon the startling development that may finally turn the tide of battle on their side. The Forest Pokémon stood more erect, preparing to resume action with the same fearless willingness as its Trainer did. Sceptile had activated its Overgrow, earning a mild, but still surprised look from Silver and Nidoking. A Sceptile with Overgrow would surely be considered a threat. The expression on Silver's face focused, tired of toying around and was considering taking the kid and his Sceptile seriously. Before long, Sceptile left its spot to fulfill the assigned directive of a Quick Attack. Since it was already poisoned, Sceptile had no problem ramming full force against the full bulk of a flabbergasted Nidoking into the bushes.

_Oh, not bad_, Silver thought, stepping back out of incredulity.

"You've got him on the ropes now, Max!" May cheered, noticing the complete change in Silver's demeanor. "Keep it up, Sceptile!"

"Now Sceptile, use Pound!"

"Tile!" Sceptile shouted, coming in from the air above the convalescing Nidoking. The Drill Pokémon, though having been able to stand back up, was not alert enough to foresee a thick prickly tail smack it upside its head. Nidoking stumbled back, cricking its neck to learn of the damage itself. The hit was pretty heft as loud cracks echoed from the turns of its head. The sickening noise made Dawn and May cringe and clutch their stomachs for good measure.

"Sceptile, it's time for Leaf Blade!"

"Sceeeeep…!" Sceptile growled, running forward and garnering the remaining energy from its Overgrow power boost for one final hit. The blades extended twice as long, thick, and sharp altogether. There was no possible way for Nidoking to stand once the Leaf Blades slice through its almighty purple hide. Silver's eyes narrowed intensely; his scowl worsened. "Scep—!"

"This ends now!" Silver shouted, casting his arm out briskly, unveiling one final trick up his black sleeve. "Nidoking, stop it!"

"Nido," Nidoking grunted, its eyes widening from the alert of its given command. Its surprisingly quick reflex moved its left arm to catch Sceptile's right arm just before the Leaf Blade came down upon it. The action caught both Sceptile and Max off guard. Preoccupied with trying to free its arm from Nidoking's steel grip, Sceptile had nearly forgotten about the other active Leaf Blade on its left arm.

"Scep! Sceeeeep…!" Sceptile shouted, swinging its other arm around to complete the assault. Unfortunately, its timing was horrible as the Drill Pokémon had discovered it during the struggling moment. With both arms captured in Nidoking's grasp, the final bout looked like it was about to end in a stalemate. Nidoking was weakened from fighting four different Pokémon at once. Sceptile was losing its power from Overgrow to its poisoning as time passed. The tension thickened and the suspense was murder for the three Coordinators watching helplessly as their youngest one was fighting for their lives. All four youth noticed that Silver's face had somewhat softened; he looked a lot more melancholy than wrathful.

_I'd sooner lose to them than tell them about my pathetic past_, Silver thought as he gazed contemplatively upon the dreary lit sky. "But I'd rather not do any of the above…" Looking back upon the forest clearing where his Nidoking and Max's Sceptile were locked in an inescapable draw, he took it upon himself to finally end this long battle. "Nidoking, Megahorn!"

"Ni…," Nidoking growled quietly, charging energy into its impressive horn. Sceptile's eyes widened, attempting to budge free. Nidoking's grip was too much for it. "…Do!" With a sudden, forceful pull, Nidoking rammed its sharp and lustrous horn into Sceptile's torso. The pain became too much for the Forest Pokémon to tolerate any longer. The poisoning severely drained its remaining energy. Sceptile fell back once Nidoking had released its hold on its arms, exhausted beyond belief and mildly injured. The dangerous grudge match had come to a heartbreaking conclusion with questionable results. The dark Trainer, Silver, had triumphed.

* * *

"_Sceptile_!" Max cried hysterically. The shattering loss made the poor boy fall to his knees in disgrace and humility. He held up the Poké Ball and recalled his brutally trounced Sceptile, unable to say anything else out of the loss. He had lost to a person that greatly resembled a Trainer he and the others disliked because of his rough training style, brutal battle tactics, and overall uncaring personality. May knelt down and comforted him, hugging his head close to her chest to quiet her sobbing little brother. Dawn and Kenny looked down upon the ground in sadness, unable to see him taking such a painful loss.

"That was a pretty good battle, considering everything Nidoking's gone through," a calm voice spoke up. Max quickly wiped away his tears off of his face and glasses, looking back up with everyone else to see Silver recalling Nidoking with a smile. "Not bad for an eleven-year old." The very sight of it all disturbed them; no comments had escaped their gaping mouths and empty minds. Silver was _smiling_, especially considering his incredible likeness to Paul.

"Did he…," Kenny began breathlessly.

"… just smile…," Dawn continued, falling into a loss of words as Kenny did.

"… and congratulate…," May added, ending in a speechless stupor.

"… _me_?" Max finished, articulating the question in a high-pitched tone. Silver glanced at them, raising an eyebrow out of incomprehension.

"You kids are very strange indeed," Silver remarked, quietly placing his Nidoking's Poké Ball back on his belt. Dawn was the first to break out of the thunderstruck stupor, standing out angrily with her feet planted firmly upon the earth.

"Oh, come on! _You're_ the strange one who gave us hard time just because we were comparing you to Paul!" Dawn screamed, her entire limbs trembling in rage. Silver took a deep breath and sighed, gingerly approaching the small group.

"Yes, I was angry about that," Silver confessed, "but Paul shouldn't be allowed to think that _he's_ the only one who had it rough." His melancholy reappeared in his dark eyes, presented before the four puzzled youth. "I had an abdicating scum of a father, a dead mother, and a childhood full of loneliness and strife." The entire outlook upon Silver, in the eyes of the four young preteens, had somehow changed completely. He sounded sincere and composed as he spoke. "My father was the reason I valued a Pokémon's power in the first place, just to impress him. But then, that no-good bastard decided just to throw me aside… like a _tool_!"

"Why does this story sound so familiar?" Max inquired.

"Paul faced the same abuse of power against Cyrus when his and Reggie's father was murdered before his eyes," Dawn explained, the pieces slowly coming together in her mind. "They're almost _are_ alike except…"

"Silver's got it even harder if it was his own dad's doing, meaning he suffered long before he turned ten," Kenny commented, his mouth forming a straight, firm line. "The world's not always filled with happy beginnings, that much I know for sure."

"Is that why you're not giving your real name to us?" May asked, her blue eyes sympathetic. "Is it because it's a painful reminder to your past?" Silver looked at her, softly grunting and looking up at the sky for a moment.

"Look, I really have no problem going by my real name now, as it is," Silver admitted, lightly brushing aside several strands of his long red hair behind his ears. "My pathetic father was pronounced dead over seven months ago. But look, you and your friends lost and the deal was that only if you had won the battle against Nidoking would I tell you my real name."

"Okay, I'm confused now," Dawn interrupted abruptly, halting the conversation with the motion of her two hands. She skeptically looked the confused Silver in the eye. "Okay, even though you don't like to admit it, you and Paul have close similarities, right?"

"That's right."

"So then, at the end of Max's battle, how come you were all nice and respectful to your Pokémon and even to a kid that gave you trouble? How do you explain all of that, huh?!" Dawn queried disbelievingly, shrugging her arms up as an exaggeration of her mixed thoughts. Silver released another sigh, scratching the side of his face with a finger before answering her back.

"Listen, back when I was traveling Johto as a younger Trainer much like your friend, Max, I saw Pokémon as nothing but tools of power, courtesy of my father," Silver explained, pausing at his next memory before finding the will to continue. "Back then, I encountered the Elite Four Champion, Lance." The mention of his name brought all ears to Silver's next part of his story. "Believe it or not, I foolishly challenged Lance to a battle and I lost humiliatingly. He totally destroyed me and showed me my own errors of raising Pokémon."

"Then what happened?" May urged, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.

"I continued pondering about what Lance taught me that day. While I still valued the strengths and usefulness of Pokémon in battle, I had discovered that my great loss to him had greatly changed me for the better. Before I knew it, I was a kinder and less hot-headed Trainer in due time. I continued my journey for a bit around the four regions, but I just prefer being here in Johto because of the better life lessons it taught me."

"Amazing…!"

Silver discovered that the four young heroes gazed upon him with astounded respect and awe. He was granted with their sympathy despite his earlier callous treatment towards them. However, a battle was still a battle and they happened to attack him first as he recalled. He knew that they would not treat him kindly since they knew who Paul was. Even Silver resented him a bit for taking his style and beating him mercilessly in their first battle. He did not know where Paul was, nor did he care at all. He was just fortunate to sort out the misunderstanding before his temper would have gotten the better of him once again. These children were young; though they were a bit naïve, they were a lot more tolerant to him than others were.

"Thank you all for your understanding and such," Silver muttered in quiet gratitude, bowing humbly. May, Max, Dawn, and Kenny had also bowed to him in respect. "Listen. The reason I'm having trouble sharing my real name is—."

"Hey! There he is!" an energetic voice exclaimed. The young heroes noticed that Silver's body had stiffened; it was as though fear had actually struck him silent and dumb.

_Oh, geez… Not him again_, Silver thought with an irritable expression on his face, gritting his teeth as he cursed inwardly at himself. Without warning and explanation, he fled in front of the four kids into the same path he took to find them. In a matter of seconds, his silhouette disappeared into the darkness of the Ilex Forest. The four young heroes were left completely speechless in his wake from his sudden departure.

"Wait! Silver, where are you going?" Max called out, his voice ringing in the void-like gaps in the forest. He ran up to the section of trees that Silver passed through, only for another person to collide right into him. The new stranger was taller and rather lanky, yet his weight completely forced Max onto the ground with him on top. A blur of blond hair flashed before the three Coordinators' eyes as the stranger tripped over Max.

"Kenny, is that who I think he is?" Dawn asked; her tone disbelieving.

"Think so," Kenny replied, also surprised to encounter him in a time and place like now. He, Dawn, and May approached the two beings on the ground recovering from the unexpected collision. The blond young man rubbed his aching head, immediately standing back up on his feet and angrily pointed upon Max. His green scarf swayed around his short-sleeved, orange-and-white-striped jacket.

"You! For holding me up like that, I'm fining you one million dollars and I expect to be compensated within the next ten seconds!" the blond young man declared upon Max, pointing upon his orange Pokétch to further indicate his blatant impatience. Max and the others stared at him, their eyes widened in bewilderment. "Ten seconds! One! Two! Three! Ah… who can wait this long?!"

"Barry, it's you!" Dawn exclaimed, joyfully clasping her hands together from seeing a friendly face in such a long time. Barry stopped his impatient rant, finally taking notice of his two friends from Twinleaf Town and their third friend.

"Dawn? Kenny? What are you guys doing in a place like this?" Barry asked mildly, scratching the back of his head. "Haven't you heard the news about Ilex Forest? They say that a vicious flock of Murkrow now rules this forest, led by a Honchkrow that stole my Dusk Stone in the first place…" His voice drowned out in self-pity, completely ashamed of his vulnerability. From what he was saying, the others figured that the Murkrow leader had stolen an acquired Dusk Stone from him and evolved from the spot.

"Then we're sure that you've also heard of a new strain of Pokérus corrupting many innocent Pokémon in the Kanto and Johto regions," Kenny added to their dilemma. Barry nodded, still depressed over his failure. "It was created by the hands of Team Rocket and another criminal organization from a far region they formed an alliance with, Cipher. We're here to stop them."

"What?! Are you guys crazy or something?!" Barry queried, suddenly shedding of his depression. "That Murkrow flock is too strong _because_ of that Pokérus strain! That's why I've been trying to find Kamon to get him to help me get revenge against Honchkrow and its flock."

"Uh, who's Kamon?" Max interrupted, having fully recuperated from the harsh collision into Barry. The question had apparently offended Barry as the blond Trainer grasped his head, shook himself, and groaned angrily to release his pent-up impatience. Max, his sister, and Barry's friends stepped back sheepishly as he continued to release his wild anxiety.

"You don't know who the great Kamon is?! He's an awesome Trainer that _you_ were just battling moments ago and lost miserably against!"

"You mean… Silver?" Max inquired; the look on his face was dumbstruck. It was contorted with the uncontainable urge to laugh. After all the hard time Silver gave them and still refused to share his real name, he just learned it the easy way.

"Yeah, that's Kamon's nickname; he says that it's because he has cleared himself of his past, giving him a soul of silver," Barry explained, not understanding why Max was cracking up feverishly. "Something tells me that Kamon refused to confide in you guys, right?"

"He gave us a brief synopsis of his life when he started out in Johto," May elucidated. "But can we talk about this in the Pokémon Center? I know there was one around here last time I traveled around here."

* * *

"No way!" May, Max, Kenny, and Dawn exclaimed incredulously. Barry had given them the full details of Kamon's forbidden past while their Pokémon recovered under Nurse Joy and Chansey's guidance; he had acquired the knowledge of his role model from extensive research and viewing past performances. When the impatient blond Trainer was asked why he knew all of this, he would merely explain that Kamon reminded him so much of another powerful and favored Trainer, Paul.

"I'm afraid that's all true," Barry shrugged. Though he was impatient to a critical fault, he was not too judgmental over shady people. After all, he actually befriended the troublesome Team Rocket trio at certain points during his journey and grew to understand them for a bit. He still opposed their thievery at times, but he was still an agreeable guy. "Kamon's father is in fact the late Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. How I managed to obtain such information, even _I_ can't remember."

"No wonder Kamon was so dead set on keeping his life a secret to a bunch of strangers like us," Dawn mused quietly. "I _almost_ feel sorry for that creep. Key word: almost. That still didn't given him the right to mess with us like that."

"And from what you explained, Barry, Kamon vehemently despised Team Rocket because they're pretty much weak when cornered," Max added, another related thought coming into his furtive mind. _Almost like how Paul was to Team Galactic…_

"Anyway, what's done is done, Dawn," Kenny reasoned to her. "Anyway, as far as we know it, Giovanni's dead because of Ardos' betrayal from the night of Ash's official coronation as a Pokémon Master. Kamon sounded relieved that he's finally gone out of his life."

"Yeah, but don't think…," May started, her tone worrisome, "that maybe Kamon wanted to patch things up with his dad before he was thrown overboard into Sinnoh's sea?" She became the receiving end of cynical glares, but she still held onto that defense because it felt sure and strong. "I mean think about it for a second. Would you really want to still hold contempt and unresolved issues towards a guy who's now dead?"

"Wow… I didn't think of it like that."

"Me neither," Max and Dawn concurred simultaneously. The two youngest members gave each other a glance, looking away as the area around their noses and cheeks were flushing a little radiating hue of red.

"Look, what are we doing standing around here and talking about what we _already_ know?" Barry demanded, standing up from his seat and slamming the table with open hands. "Come on! Let's get out there and show that Shadow Honchkrow or whatever you called it a thing or two about stealing!" The rest of the gang looked at him doubtfully, their mouths slightly gaping from his enthusiastic reaction.

"Barry, I didn't know you want to join us in cleansing Johto of the ShadowPokérus," Dawn stated, her tone in awe.

"I'm not going to let Honchkrow get away with what it did to me! And if there are more Pokémon acting as weird as Honchkrow, then I'm going to fine them each one million dollars for giving me grief. Let's go!" Barry proclaimed, eagerly running in place near the Pokémon Center's exit. He gazed and tapped at his Pokétch edgily. "One! Two! Three! Four… Ah, screw it!" He immediately rushed through the slow automatic doors, fitting his lean body right through the gradual gap and running back out into the Ilex Forest to confront the Shadow Murkrow flock. His impatience had once again left the gang in incredulous wordlessness, especially since Dawn was unable to give her friend a spare pair of Relic-Stone-powered Aura Gauntlets and an Aura Reader eyepiece.

"We'd… better go find Barry before he hurts himself… again," Kenny suggested in an exasperated tone, shrugging indifferently thereafter.

"And who knows? Maybe we'll meet Kamon again," Max proposed, smiling. "Now that Barry had explained him quite thoroughly, I guess I actually have respect for the misunderstood guy. We could even try to get him to join us; a powerful Trainer like him would greatly aid us!"

"Now Max, one miracle at a time," May said, reclaiming Blaziken's Poké Ball from Chansey's tray while Dawn got Mamoswine back.

As the young group reclaimed their improved Pokémon from Nurse Joy, a loud scream reeking of terror shrieked from outside of the Pokémon Center. The four of them nodded resolutely; Barry got into trouble again. They quickly ran to the automatic exit. Max and Kenny attempted to open the doors faster for all of them to pass through by pushing from both sides. There, they saw Barry standing without a clue as the Murkrow flock had now swarmed around the Pokémon Center. Their ominous caws echoed in the hollow darkness of the forest, warning all trespassers within the Ilex Forest that this was their time to rule. Not even the forest's guardian could protect them now. The flock had found fresh meat in the form of a familiar hot-headed victim whose treasure they recently plundered and strengthened their leader with. With the leading Honchkrow looking down upon Barry with a sinister glint in its aggressive eyes, there was no telling when the Big Boss Pokémon and its Shadow flock would pounce on the outmatched blond Trainer. May, Max, Dawn, and Kenny watched helplessly as their Aura Readers activated on the sight and covered their eyes, revealing the horrible black aura to be so abundant around the Pokémon Center. To think, they have to battle an entire flock of Murkrow just to restore the peace of Ilex Forest. If it only was that simple…

"Honch!" Honchkrow shrilled portentously, spreading out its black lustrous wings. The entire flock reacted with horrendous cries of their own as Honchkrow dove down towards the startled Barry with a merciless Sky Attack.

"Feraligatr, Hydro Cannon!"

"Gaaaaat-or!" the bellowing voice of a Feraligatr roared. From an unexpected corner within the trees near the Pokémon Center, a concentrated blast of water was launched from the shadows of the forest, much to everyone's surprise. The Hydro Cannon crashed into Honchkrow; the opposing energies between it and Sky Attack resulted in a violent explosion that seemed to have knocked Honchkrow out from its path.

"Where did that Hydro Cannon come from?" Barry inquired, catching up to his accelerated breathing from the fear Honchkrow instilled in him. His and the others' answer was revealed in the form of the dark, red-haired Trainer and the evolved Starter Pokémon he stole from Professor Elm. _He_ saved them.

"Kamon!" they all exclaimed. Kamon glanced at them, his expression indifferent and unreadable. He shifted his gaze upon Barry, seeing as he was the only one who did his homework on him. Barry felt his piercing stare, but was suddenly taken back when Kamon gave him a curt nod and formed a small smile that seemed to have approved him.

"You screamed… like a girl?" Kamon asked, folding his arms across his sinewy chest. While he relished the mortified reaction of Barry's face, he noticed Honchkrow recovering from the Hydro Cannon. Its eyes screeched vengeance. It was time they _all_ fought back together.

* * *

"You… _failed_?!" Ardos shouted in outrage. The Hexagon Brothers Ω were on their knees on the cold floor of the large gathering room, shaking from the furious message of their inexcusable failure to defeat those brats. The mesmerizing haze emitting out of the Citadark Volcano drifted as viewed through the open block ceiling. Two of the Hexagon Brothers Ω, however, were still in delirium, having been exposed to the worst of the worst dark illusions.

"Those brats have powerful Pokémon and they themselves have strange powers," Resix Ω reasoned, his tone fearful and trembling. "I don't think there's—."

"Enough! I'll hear no more of it!" Ardos interrupted. "Dakim! Gorigan! Take these incompetents away and feed them to XD00∞!"

"Say it not so!" Resix Ω cried, his mouth agape.

It was the Hexagon Brothers Ω's turn to express furious astonishment. The two burly, tag-team Admins stomped in from the elevator, grinning wickedly as they each grabbed three of the screaming Hexagon Brothers and forcibly dragged them back to the elevator to face their inevitable execution for their failures. They could not escape with their lives this time around. Dakim easily carried three Hexagon Brothers under his muscular arms. Gorigan dragged his three across the floor wildly by the colored handkerchiefs around their necks, using both of his hands and his own mouth to accomplish the deed.

"Before I forget, I'm sending the both of you on a mission to wipe out the main source of resistance and purification," Ardos announced coldly. "I'm leaving the both of you in charge of the destruction of Agate Village's treasured Relic Stone. With it out of the way, it will be easier to target down our rebellious brats and pick them off one by one. Naps and his Peons had already done their job by ravaging Krane's Purification Chamber. It's all up to you now." Dakim and Gorigan listened intently, nodding to him and to each other before departing down the elevator for Shadow Giratina's next meal.

"We'll get on it as soon as possible," Dakim replied, the elevator doors slowly closing around them.

"Right after we finish our turn to feed XD00∞!" Gorigan exclaimed rowdily. The elevator doors closed and they were gone.

"Excellent…," Ardos hissed to himself, his face contorted with delusions of grandeur and schemes of psychotic megalomania.

* * *

**Well, this is the second chapter where I haven't gone to where Ash, Anabel, and Paul are. But then again, if you guessed correctly, they're probably on their way to Agate Village to learn more about the Relic Stone. For those of you that played both **_**Pokémon Colosseum**_** and **_**Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness**_**, you must also know all about Agate Village, the people that makes its populace, and the legendary Trainer retiring there. In addition, who do _you_ think is better: Kamon or Paul? I know they're so much alike, mostly likely because Paul was based off the rival himself. Plus, I based Kamon off of his latest appearance in Heart Gold and Soul Silver. There are even references to Paul from Kamon woven into the chapter from his episode appearances, both in English and Japanese.**

**Anyway, the reason I'm updating quicker than usual is because I'm leaving for college in less than two weeks. I finally saved enough money from my work and now I have a lot more free time to write more chapters. I hope to get to the good ones before I leave and become too busy in my new life, or at least the first few weeks. If I somehow find spare time in college to write more chapters, then there you go.**

**If you would please be so kind as to review, then it will be appreciated. Your feedback to me is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	17. Misunderstanding

**Well, it's time we got reacquainted with the main story, even if it was only one chapter. Everything is building up as it should, and I hope I can update as many times as I can. I really enjoy writing this series; that I do… Hmm, now that I think of it, Ash and Paul have twins of sorts now: Ritchie and Kamon respectively. The only differences are that Ritchie uses his head a lot more and Kamon is a lot more respectful to others and Pokémon. And to think, the latter two are involved in the side plots of the _Stardom series_.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The magnificence of Agate Village was unlike the rest of the entire Orre region, as far as they had traveled. Throughout the course of their traverse over the desert sands, every sight the trio saw was either more of the conflicted sky or more of a trillion grains of sand stretching out as far as the eye could see. Its green lushness, serenity, and large river were part of a huge contrast to the rest of the sands of Orre, excluding the visited floral areas of the Pokémon HQ Lab and Dr. Kaminko's house. Even from a distance, Ash, Anabel, and Paul mutually believed that Agate Village seemed to be too good of a mirage to hallucinate. Several tall rock peaks with green moss covering their pinnacles protruded around the grand village and what seemed to be a cloudy mist was occupying around the village's sides. The tranquil sight was truly unreal compared to the harsh desert trials they faced across Orre. As they got off their individual Robo Pokémon transportation upon the entrance to the forest village and activated their built-in cloaking ability to remain hidden from any thieves and larceners hiding by the shadowed corners of the rock peaks, the rushing roars and light splashes of the front river greeted them with the utmost amiable salutation in the name of Agate Village.

"So this is the renowned Agate Village Professor Krane wanted us to check," Paul muttered, inspecting the various elevation levels the green terrain with a flat look in his eyes. "This should be interesting."

"They say the some of the most expert Pokémon Trainers and Coordinators from around the world retire here so that they can live the rest of their lives in peace with their closest companions that endured hardships with them since their prime," Anabel explained, her eyes radiating from the beauty of the natural village. "I would so love to retire here once I'm done with everything, from the Battle Frontier to settling down with the love of my life. I can even feel the nature of the village itself beckoning me to join. Don't you agree too, Ash? Ash…?" She discovered that Ash still had a captivated look in his eyes, hypnotized by the luxurious splendor of the village and the vigorous activity of elderly Trainers staying fit and lively.

"Well, at least he's consistent with his main responsibilities of checking out the fabled Relic Stone like the rest of us are," Paul commented, smirking at Anabel's disappointed look from an attempt to reach out to Ash. The two of them heard an inaudible whisper escape from Ash's lips as Pikachu attempted to lean his ears closer to understand what he said.

"'The most expert Pokémon Trainers from around the world,' huh," Ash repeated in a clearer, but quiet whisper. Paul hardened his face and scowled, mentally smacking himself to think that he would take his responsibilities seriously while Anabel giggled softly to herself from observing his absentminded look.

"So he _did _listen to me just before losing himself midway my first sentence," Anabel corrected, gaining the last laugh after all. Paul merely rolled his eyes in a usual lack of concern, glancing at his upbeat rival as he slowly advanced upon the simple wooden bridge that stretched across Agate's river.

"Come on, guys!" Ash's voice urged, stopping almost halfway upon the bridge to wait for them to catch up. "We've got to check out the Relic Stone before anything else." He looked back to Anabel and grinned. "And I _did_ promise anything else." Anabel could not help but smile pleasantly back at him as she and Paul had caught up with him on the footbridge. The expansive verdure of Agate Village waited for them as they had finally crossed over from the natural aridity of Orre to the first hill ascending up to an elevated height.

"There's no way any traveler searching for relief could miss this," Paul remarked, scanning the ancient Agate foundation again. He noticed that the populating cubical stone houses with tree roots wrapped around them were possibly older than the Trainers themselves. "To think, this place is even close to Mt. Battle, the supposedly greatest challenge for Pokémon Trainers to reach the top."

"Like you said earlier, there's no time for that now that Reverse-Cipher and Shadow Giratina are on the loose somewhere in Orre," Anabel replied, reaching out her left hand to hold onto Ash's. Ash noticed and extended his right hand back, bringing her up to his side. "But since we're already here, we'll just have to make the most of it." She comfortably nestled into Ash's side, looking up to his face expectantly. "Lead the way, please."

Ash and the others gradually took in the ambiance of the enriched air around them, walking up the hill and noticing more of the large vicinity encompassing them. There were elderly citizens around the village that looked like they were going about on their daily lives without a care in the world. Other elderly Trainers refused to simply sit still and battled alongside their long-time partners against other Trainers. As the young visitors traveled for a bit and noticing the Agate Village Pokémon Center was nearby, they began to notice that the elderly had given them strange stares. They were also murmuring among each other, but their shriveled lips were too hard to read. Pikachu twitched his ears up, hoping to know if the town was either with them or against them, considering that they were foreigners and all. As Ash and company approached the Pokémon Center as a first decent stop, there was one whispered conversation from two elderly women that was audible enough to overhear.

"Look at that cute couple with that young man with the Pikachu and his lilac-haired lady," the first elderly woman commented. The wrinkled smile on her face was sweet and caring. "They must be on their honeymoon." A slight red tinge appeared on Anabel's cheeks, curved from an involuntary smile, while the expression within Ash's eyes basically explained that he was dumbstruck and rather oblivious.

_What's a honeymoon?_ Ash mused to himself, stroking his stomach even though they had lunch just before arriving. _Maybe Anabel knows…_

"That's impossible," her equally aged friend argued lightly. "Look at their third wheel. From the looks on his face, I think he's trying to keep his sister apart like the annoying big brother he is." Paul started to wish that their conversation was not perceptible enough to overhear. Moreover, as much as he tried to ignore them, the louder their wild stories were annoying to him. He stepped up close to Ash; his eyes closed and scowl twitching from listening to their delirious lies.

"I normally don't let people get to me, but I think these 'ladies' are definitely out to get me," Paul whispered austerely into Ash's ear, faking a smile to the watching public with his gritting teeth and cold lips. Ash looked at him, slightly repulsed from his feined action of smiling.

"How do you think _we_ feel about what they're saying?" Anabel brought up. "I mean I loved the first assumption that Ash and I were on a honeymoon, but being related to _you_ made me change my mind. Lucian is a better brother to me than you could ever be."

"Oh, like Reggie has the brother of the year award on top of his armoire at home," Paul retorted, his tone coldly sarcastic.

"Don't make fun of him. He was a skilled challenger to take on the Battle Frontier and one of the _nicest_ people I've met."

"That weakling also has a _big_ _mouth_."

"Guys, _enough_!" Ash whispered through his teeth, metaphorically cutting his throat with a flat hand. "You're making an even _bigger_ scene now than back at Phenac City."

The young Aura Guardian used his eyes to point out and indicate that several more citizens than before eyed them suspiciously. Paul and Anabel silenced themselves and abruptly looked away from each other; the latter hung onto Ash's arm tightly with her own firm arms. The somewhat disorganized trio quickly entered through the automatic doors of the Pokémon Center, finally free from the apprehensive glares of the senior citizens. They found the inside of the Pokémon Center to be as cool and fresh as the outside, most likely because the windows were opened. The Center almost seemed empty with exception of a few senior Trainers and strangely, two Trainers close to their ages.

"So, what are we doing here if our directive is finding the Relic Stone?" Anabel asked, calmly loosening her hold onto Ash's arm. Ash took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye with a rather serious persona; the look did not really suit him, in the eyes of the Salon Maiden.

"Can a day go by where you _don't_ argue with Paul?" Ash reprimanded. The shimmer in Anabel's eyes saddened, knowing that if _he_ had to scold her, then her arguments with Paul were starting to get out of hand. She nodded with the silent promise of behaving herself, even though he knew that she defended him from Paul's insensitive remarks. Ash turned around to face his dark rival, who attempted to look away and look nonchalant. "And you…"

"Hmph, I don't need _you_ to tell me what's already wrong with _me_," Paul stated curtly before Ash could continue. Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances. There was not much left to be said, considering that Paul was quick to the uptake as usual. "So now that we've sorted this out, how about we go back out and find that troublesome Relic Stone?"

"Do you guys say that you're looking for the Relic Stone?" the charitable voice of Nurse Joy inquired. The three young Trainers discovered her approaching them from the counter with a Chansey assistant accompanying her.

"That's right," Ash replied, thinking that she might help. "Do you know where it is, Nurse Joy?" The plaintive look she shared with Chansey had pretty much explained that she could not give away the information. "Oh…"

"It's not that I don't want to," Nurse Joy explained, "it's just that ever since Reverse-Cipher had risen seven months ago, the citizens of Agate Village and I cannot divulge that information so easily to strangers nowadays. For all we know, you kids could be their spies in disguise."

"But we're not, Nurse Joy," Anabel reasoned, looking into her eyes to confirm their sincere candor. "We're actually _against_ those creeps and we need to see the Relic Stone for ourselves to know more about it." Nurse Joy smiled after a moment pondering her words, nodding slightly.

"I _do_ believe that you kids have no connections to them whatsoever, but all I can do is to lead you to the man in charge of protecting the Relic Stone. His name is Eagun, one of the most powerful and legendary Trainers in the world, at least of his time. He lives north form here, at the highest level of Agate Village. He lives with his wife, Beluh, and his home built within the oldest tree in Agate Village. You'll need permission from him if you want to view the Relic Stone, so I wish you kids the best of luck."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash, Anabel, and Paul replied in gratitude; the former two left with a merry wave of good-bye to the Pokémon nurse and her Chansey.

* * *

Following Nurse Joy's advice, the three of them traversed across the lush fields and hills of Agate Village for some time. The forest village was much larger than they imagined as they passed several more stone houses and a Daycare from green inclination after green inclination. The trip to Eagun's home was quite tiring, especially that the three of them could see the large old tree from the high distance. Yet it was still at a considerable distance away to travel on foot. The view from where they were, however, made the river passing through Agate Village look rather small. Their advances to the top of the village also gave them the privilege to listen to the roars of the waterfall northeast of the village. Despite their mortal bodies crying out their exhaustion in the form of irritating sharp side cramps and such, their memories of vigorous training back at Iron Island with Riley was a lot harsher to their bodies. They were actually prepared enough to make it through. Before long, much to their surprise, they found that Eagun's residence within one last slope. The tree's height reached the sky limitlessly in their eyes, which was most likely a mild illusion created from their current fatigue.

"There it is, guys," Ash pointed out, gasping for breath with Anabel's arm hung over his shoulders. The drained Salon Maiden was supported with Ash's right arm holding her up by her slender waist. "Just a few more steps…"

"Then stop talking… more walking…," Paul muttered heavily, bending forward with his hands on his knees. "This Eagun… must be more energetic than the other… old Trainers… Kudos…" A few more steps up the slope and they noticed a man in his mid-twenties hanging out in front of the house. The man noticed them climbing up, immediately deducing that these outside kids made their way up to find one important person.

"Hey! You guys all right?" the young man asked, running up to them by the top of the green incline. The three of them managed to recover much of their stamina, standing up firmly on their two feet as though they had not walked a mile.

"Yeah, we're actually here to see Eagun," Ash explained. "It's really important."

"Hmm, does have it have something to do with the Relic Stone?"

"You knew?" Anabel queried, surprised by the man's swift response.

"Why else would you guys travel all the way up here to see Eagun? Since you look like an upstanding group of visitors in a long time, you can pass through and meet him. One can never be too cautious when dealing with strangers."

"I think 'paranoid' is the more fitting term with these senior citizens," Paul suggested, shrugging apathetically. "I've seen them keep in shape. Surely they can still fight back when the time comes?"

"We shouldn't push them beyond their limits, especially since most of them have retired years ago," the man said, gesturing them to follow him. They regrouped underneath the large tree that towered over a regular stone house. The man pulled the door open and moved only his head forward. "Eagun! There are a few people that want to meet you about the Relic Stone!" After the quick alert, he nodded to Ash and the others to enter. He stood by and kept the door open for the three of them.

The inside of Eagun's domicile was a bit warmer than the rest of Agate Village. The arrangement of furniture and the rooms themselves looked rather old-fashioned and traditional. They were dealing with a legendary Trainer with simple pleasures in life. With a quick scan of the entire first floor from the entrance, the only piece of modern technology they could find was the activated television that no one was watching. Ash was the first to ascertain the inhabitants on the house in the kitchen past the stairs leading to the second floor in front of them. An old couple sat across from each other around the table, drinking herbal tea.

"Hey, excuse us!" Ash called out to the couple. He felt a strong push coming from Paul into the house. Instead of glaring back for being shoved inside beyond his will, he went forward into the house and gingerly approached the old couple. The old man was easily distinguished with his long white hair, long white beard, and mystical purple robes with some sort of rune design down the centerpiece. His wife was quiet and looked like she almost reached Anabel's full height, sipping her tea in peace in front of the visitors. Her bundled hair, despite having aged into a gray color, gave off a light lavender glow. Ash stood before the old man, followed by Anabel and Paul entering the house. "Uh, excuse us? Are you Eagun?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, sorry about that," the old man cleared his throat, wiping his mouth with his wrist and looked at his unexpected visitors. "Well, well, I didn't think you'd come around this quickly, my boy."

"Huh?"

"Yes, well my granddaughter still hasn't quite forgiven you since you left her to deal with whatever problems you had with your mother, Wes," Eagun mumbled, leaning in close to get a good look of the confused Aura Guardian. "I could try to get her downstairs, but I'm afraid you're on your own from there."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but I think you have me confused with someone else, sir," Ash suggested uneasily, holding his hands up innocently. "My name's not Wes. It's Ash."

"Rui, Wes is back!" Eagun hollered with a curved hand by his mouth, apparently having not heard Ash or any of others' complaints. "He wants you to take him back!"

"Mr. Eagun, you're not listening to us," Anabel intervened. "He's not Wes. I believe you're mistaking Ash for the wrong guy."

"Mistaking? He's losing the battle to old age, that's what's wrong," Paul explained bluntly, folding his arms across his chest without a care. Anabel glanced at him with another disapproving look in her narrowed lilac eyes.

"Can you ever describe someone without making it sound like a callous insult?" Anabel asked with a glowering look, resolutely placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't start with me," Paul muttered threateningly. "I've already got your boyfriend on my tail because of the quarrels _you_ start."

"Oh, yeah? Well—!"

"_Quiet_!" the aged woman screamed, completely dissolving the noise that prevented her from peacefully sipping her tea. Ash, Anabel, and Paul glanced at her with widened eyes and gaping mouths, completely astounded from her authority. Eagun had also settled down with his yells to convene his granddaughter from upstairs, breathing heavily from the strident outputs of his voice. "Eagun honey, please open your eyes."

"Hmm? What's that, Beluh?" Eagun grunted, his head facing her direction. The young visitors noticed the revelation as his wrinkled eyes slightly opened within the bushel of his long white hair. He took a keen glimpse of Ash, only for his head to lower slightly in humility. "Eh… I'm terribly sorry for the trouble, young man. I guess I'm even forgetting to open my eyes now and again." During the aftermath of the identity misunderstanding that was sorted out, Ash and Pikachu chuckled sheepishly, Anabel exhaled a big sigh of relief, and Paul, ever the very irritable one, smacked his forehead hard enough that the color of his broken blood vessels stood out from the small spot.

"Alright, but you've got _a lot_ to do if you ever want my forgiveness, mister rogue," a new voice resonated in the house. Hastening footsteps echoed going down the stairs. "Don't think I—!" Entering the kitchen with her rant coming to an abrupt halt from realizing there were new guests was a young woman in her early twenties. She wore an open blue jacket with a small purple top that exposed her slender stomach. Her white skirt was almost as short and rather revealing as Dawn's miniskirt, at least to Ash and Paul. Around her neck was a precious crescent moon necklace that seemed to bring out the light of her eyes. Her short red hair was tied into two tails on top while the majority of her bangs were parted to the left. On her feet were knee-high pink boots and high black socks. The young woman bore a look of shock within her wide blue eyes, discovering that the man her grandfather mentioned was not around.

"I take full blame of this, sweetheart," Eagun spoke, raising his arms up in surrender.

"Rui, your grandfather and I are not getting younger," Beluh explained calmly, sipping her tea steadily again. "So if we make mistakes, please don't throw a fit." Rui glanced at her earnestly before taking a glimpse of the strangers her senile grandfather mistook for Wes. Out of the three youth that Eagun could mistake for him with his eyes closed, she convinced herself that the determined young man with the Pikachu next to her grandfather had a slightly better chance resembling him than the bitter-looking man with purple hair. No matter how androgynous the third visitor with lilac hair looked, she figured out that Anabel was a girl. She approached Ash, closely examining him with an open eye at an uncomfortable range.

"Something wrong?" Ash asked meekly.

"Well, you're no former Snagem thief, but you're just as cute as him," Rui surmised and winked, placing a light kiss on his cheek out of the blue. Anabel's face twitched violently while Paul's jaw nearly fell off from witnessing the sudden action.

_Damn! I knew 'Ashanova' was a player long before he got together with Anabel, but this is ridiculous!_ Paul vented in his dark mind, his stony expression completely disbelieving.

"Uh, can I ask what _that_ was for?" Ash queried, blushing completely red in astonished embarrassment, especially since he could feel a burning aura of vengeful green very close by. He heard Pikachu sighed in a worrisome manner, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Sorry, kid, but one customary welcome kiss per brave guest for climbing all the way up here to see Grandpa Eagun," Rui explained lightheartedly.

"Excuse me!" Anabel intervened, frowning. Rui looked at her, bewildered at her upset expression. "I _happen_ to be his girlfriend and you just go and _kiss_ him like that?!" Rui was taken back, laughing rather nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Gee, this house is _definitely_ full of surprises," Rui remarked, attempting to get her to smile within the next misunderstanding. It was not working, however. Anabel remained serious, her frown increasingly deepening. "Relax, I didn't know. I'm sorry, okay? He really _did_ resemble a once close friend of mine, though this guy was a bit more roguish than your boyfriend."

Anabel's expression softened a bit; she did not, nor she was, the kind of young woman who would hold a grudge. She recalled the hollered words of Eagun calling for Rui back with the first misunderstanding, saying that Wes wanted to get back with her after his supposed family problem. The idea that this Wes had to leave her behind soon dawned upon her, which was no wonder why Rui was upset to hear that he would just come crawling back to her. There was really no reason for her to stay upset now. The peck on Ash's cheek was more of friendly gesture and did not, nor should it not, mean anything. Even Ash was flabbergasted as she was from receiving it; at least he remained faithful to her. The Salon Maiden understood the emotions of others much quicker than anyone else could comprehend, especially with Pokémon. She was happy, though, that her social skills with humans were improving and her empathy became capable of reaching out to them as well.

"Man, you're definitely Ash's _girlfriend_ if you'd act out brashly like that," Paul remarked bluntly, hiding a smirk by the far corner of his mouth. "He's rubbing of you just like lovey-dovey you to him." Anabel took a deep breath and completely disregarded him, opting to take her proper side by Ash instead. "By the way, you should have brought your camera as you mentioned back at Phenac. That face you made from seeing Ash receive Rui's customary kiss was definitely a Kodak moment."

"Paul, that's enough!" Ash scolded with a fierce look in his auburn eyes, keeping Anabel safe in his arms. He and the grateful Salon Maiden noticed the emotion in his piercing eyes was indecipherable. Paul looked away coldly and leaned on the wall, waiting for business to be done. Ash got the hint and exhaled calmly, facing Eagun and resuming the reason why they were here in the first place. "Eagun, we're here to see the Relic Stone with your permission."

"Hmm, I see," Eagun said in a stable tone, stroking down his long white beard. "Before we do anything else, I'd like to know your names since you apparently know who we are."

"My name is Ash," Ash greeted, holding a hand out for Pikachu's introduction. "And this is my buddy, Pikachu."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu saluted.

"And I'm Anabel," Anabel replied, smiling as though the past mistakes were forgotten. She noticed that Rui was looking back at her with a rather plaintive expression on her face. She could feel her aura of guilt from the previous misunderstanding radiating out to her than to anyone else, including Ash. The Salon Maiden was much closer to feelings than anyone, simply put.

"The name's Paul," Paul stated curtly, his eyes closed and posture glued to the wall.

"Very good, very good," Eagun started, rubbing his hands together and left his seat. His long hair and flowing robes fluttered in the air from his swift movements, which were quite astounding for someone his age. "Now all that's left to do is a battle with one of you and I'll determine if you're worthy to see the Relic Stone from the battle. How about you, Ash? You remind me so much of, well… _me _at your age, especially with a Pikachu on your shoulder."

"A-A battle… with _you_…?" Ash asked; the requirement to see the Relic Stone made him speechless. He was facing a legendary Trainer, no doubt; the honor itself made him tremble from head to toe. He suddenly felt a sizzling, but short electrical current in the form of a gradual heat surge into the nerve-endings of his shoulders. Ash had realized that it was Pikachu's way of calming him down instead of openly blasting him with a Thunderbolt. The shaking must have been noticeable enough to get him to subtly shock him. _Thanks for that, Pikachu._

"Well, do you accept my grandpa's terms to see the Relic Stone or what?" Rui asked, waving her hand in front of the inattentive Aura Guardian. His pupils suddenly contracted back into their focused size, their color darkening with life and vigor.

"I accept the terms!" Ash declared boldly, clenching a fist tightly to his chest. He was as ready as he was ever going to be; he might as well get this over with and face the greatest Trainer of the past.

* * *

_Myth Trainer Eagun would like to battle!_

"This will be a One-on-One battle with no substitutions and no time limit," Rui announced, eagerly taking the role of the referee for the required battle between Ash and Eagun. "You all should know what entails in a Pokémon battle, so the last one still standing and able to battle basically wins it all. Choose your Pokémon and feel free to begin at anytime!"

A passing cool wind blew over the open grass field in front of Eagun's abode. On the side by the roaring waterfall was the mythical Trainer himself; his long hair, beard, and loose robes fluttered in the passing wind. His younger opponent, by several decades and possibly more, stood by the side with the green slope several meters behind him. His two allies waited by the side to watch calmly, but anxiously for the turnout of the battle. The silence was truly binding with tension. The tightening moment became a chill in Ash's spine. This was his chance to not only fight for the permission to see the Relic Stone, but to face on of the most powerful Trainers on the face of the earth. It was unknown how much ability he lost to time and retirement, but despite his old age he carried a powerful wisdom deep within his soul. He noticed in a blink of an eye that Eagun pulled out a Poké Ball from under his large purple sleeve.

"Age before beauty, son," Eagun declared, pulling his arm back for the toss. "Pikachu, come forth!"

The dusty looking Poké Ball spun from the flick of his surprisingly agile wrist, snapping open with a loud crackle of white energy bursting forth. The light took form of the Pokémon he called out in his battle yell, a Pikachu; Ash, Anabel, and even Paul were stunned to see that he reached mythical greatness with the help of a Pikachu. Upon closer examination of Eagun's Pikachu, it looked slightly larger than Ash's Pikachu with several messy tufts of yellow fur sticking out around its body. Its loose fur tufts drifted in the wind's path like Eagun's long robes. Its deep eyes no longer shimmered with the brilliance of youth and passion; they were dull with wisdom and age. Despite its fragile physical looks, Ash could see its aura blazing at random intervals from its old body.

"His Pikachu's been through as much as he has," Ash murmured quietly to his buddy. "Pikachu, I think this will be the true test of our friendship and the trials it went through. We may not have as much experience as they do, but we're _just_ as strong as they are, right?"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, his affirmative arm curled up to his body.

"Then let's get in it to win it, buddy!" Ash proclaimed, casting out his pointing arm to the battlefield. His Pikachu ran off his arm like a bridge and joined Eagun's Pikachu in the ensuing One-on-One battle. The Mouse Pokémon exchanged determined glances and a few words in their language; it was like giving each other good luck.

"What are you doing?!" Paul chastised harshly, interrupting the onset of the battle. "If you were serious about wanting to go to see the Relic Stone, you should have sent out Tyranitar or Sceptile to take on his Pikachu instead of matching him move for move. You can be so boneheaded at times that it's _really_ pathetic!" He felt a swift, but somewhat weak smack by the side of his head. He felt the painful heat burning upon his right ear. He roughly turned to see Anabel retracting her hand back to her side, glaring into his eyes with what seemed to be her most serious disposition.

"I'm not going to warn you again," Anabel advised; her tone calm, yet threatening. Her lilac eyes narrowed gradually, yet kept the seriousness to a low level as she promised Ash. "If you have something useful to say, then don't put your own feelings in it just to force it down others' throats. If it hasn't helped you, it's not going to help Ash." The brusque Veilstone Trainer scowled at her with a dark look, only to rebuke her off with a disdainful grunt and resumed waiting for the battle between Pikachu to start.

"Alright! It's like I said before," Rui announced, raising her arms high as a professional referee would. "If you guys are ready, then get this battle underway!" She swung her arms down like the colored flags to an official Pokémon League match. The battle between Ash, Eagun, and their Pikachu had commenced.

"Since I was the first to send out a Pokémon, I'll give you the honor of attacking first, Ash," Eagun declared; his voice was rather hoarse.

"Thanks! Pikachu, start us off with Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Ash's Pikachu shouted, leaping forth into action with a burst of energy. "ChuChuChuChuChu…!" His speed was outlined by the outputting trail of light as he dashed forward to tackle into the older Pikachu. The opponent did not react to the younger one's hastening approach. The small audience, including Ash, leaned in forward to see any reaction out of Eagun's Pikachu. The majority of guesses claim that Eagun and his Pikachu were finally out of their prime. Others argued that its immobility was a clever ploy to lower the younger Pikachu's sense of security. Ash's Pikachu was reaching within feet of its opponent, determined to win as much as his best friend did.

"Jump and fight back, old friend!"

"Pika," Eagun's Pikachu grunted, a wily glint sparking within its dull pupil. Its timing was superbly impeccable as Eagun's Pikachu leapt up in the air when the other Pikachu least expected it. Ash's Pikachu ran right under while feeling his tail caught by something. Eagun's Pikachu had somersaulted over, grabbing onto the lightning groove of the younger Pikachu's tail with both little hands. "Pi-ka!" With a smirk from out of the ordinary, Eagun's Pikachu had gained the strength to pull Ash's Pikachu off the ground and over its shoulder upon the exact moment that the latter was caught off guard.

"Now pin that young Pikachu down and use Thunderbolt!"

"Knock it off with Iron Tail!"

The struggle became difficult with the simultaneous commands thrown out at once at the Pikachu. Eagun's Pikachu was the first to enact part of its order, throwing the younger Pikachu onto the ground by his tail. However, the latter landed safely on all fours with his tail sticking straight up. He felt the weight of his opponent fall upon his back; his ears pricked up upon the sound of static discharge. While attempting to shake it off, Ash's Pikachu had garnered energy into his tail that was pressed in between the two bodies. The older of the two noticed the development, attempting to gather its electricity faster than the rate of the younger Pikachu's Iron Tail. Age had cornered the elder Pikachu as its rate of storing enough electricity in its cheek pouches was not as speedy as before.

"Chuuuuu…!" Ash's Pikachu growled, running around the grass field to throw Eagun's Pikachu off. The elder Mouse Pokémon hung onto his ears to make the struggle even out for it; if the little one was to be rid of him, he would not get away that easily. "—Pika!" With an abrupt halt in movement, Ash's Pikachu managed to throw his opponent of his back while sending a glowing, cast-iron tail into the center of its old abdomen.

"Thunderbolt the little one, now!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Eagun's Pikachu shouted upon the release of its powerful electrical current. The voltage struck Ash's Pikachu at a fleet pace, sizzling and overpowering the younger Mouse Pokémon similar to the battles with other Electric Pokémon. He faced tougher rivals before throughout his travels with Ash, such as Lt. Surge's Raichu and Paul's Electivire, and yet their electrical power paled in comparison to the energy output of Eagun's Pikachu. It was strange, but then again looks had never decided anything. Nothing could be predicted with the elder Pikachu, given its timely experience. Yet as it had released a powerful current, the old Mouse Pokémon itself was worn out from the entire execution like a newborn Pichu.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" Ash cheered. He noticed several wisps of charred smoked floated from around his Pikachu left in the Thunderbolt's wake. Pikachu himself was also covered with minor scorch marks around his fur. "We're not going to fall. Use Quick Attack!"

"Use _your_ Quick Attack to outmaneuver the little one, Pikachu!"

The odds were slowly falling into Eagun's favor, according to Ash. The earlier Thunderbolt had seriously given his Pikachu considerable damage, but not without a price of its own. Despite its wisdom and clever tactics, Eagun's Pikachu was lacking stamina, something that only youth could provide plenteously. The order for a Thunderbolt had palpably drained it. It was his and Pikachu's chance for a reversal. Ash and Eagun observed intently as their Pikachu had begun to settle their presumed final rounds of their battle with their fists. The battle became an old-fashioned, physical melee as the Pikachu zigzagged around each other with the aids of the speed boosts from their Quick Attacks, each Mouse Pokémon attempting to pounce and finish off the other. Their trailing blurs of light masked much over their movements. It was almost like a dancing duel to the finish. Anabel, Paul, and Rui were also fixated on the sight of two Mouse Pokémon of similar backgrounds desperately held onto their individual Trainer's honor. Ash's Pikachu ultimately gained the upper hand from their repetitive pounces, tackling into the stomach of the older Pikachu. But the battle had not ended there. Several swipes of their paws and tails were exchanged with either one evading or enduring blows. Even with Ash's Pikachu having learned a brief lesson of boxing in Kanto their first year, the outcome was liable to fall to either side. The brawl started to become too much when the identity of the Pikachu became indiscernible. No one knew which Pikachu belonged to whom once they back-somersaulted to the sides, given their yellow fur was equally ruffled and their deep eyes expressing their exhaustion.

_They can't take any more of this_, Eagun thought, his beard pensively flowing in the wind to reflect the stoic outlook of his mind.

_We've got to end this now_, Ash thought, tightening his fists. The moment was now; both powerful Trainers extended their arms forward to utter the final command for their Pokémon.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

"PikaPikaPikaPikaPika…!" the Pikachu shouted, their small bodies cloaked in golden electricity as they dashed into one final tackle to decide the battle. "Pi-ka!" The collision of Pikachu old and young resulted in a great explosion; the boom of electrical shockwaves reverberated across the entire range of Agate Village before coming to a stop to the river flowing around the greenery. The sudden winds blew harshly against the company's bodies; they all curled their limbs together for protection.

"_Pikachu_!" Ash and Eagun yelled, genuinely concerned for the safety of their long-time partners. The smoke cleared. The Pikachu were within the circumference of burnt grass from the Volt Tackle crash, flat on their stomachs.

"I guess it's safe to say that with neither Pikachu moving, the battle should be a tie," Rui surmised, yet hesitantly raising her arms up. "It is a tie, right?"

"Right," Eagun grunted, walking over to pick up his aged friend into his arms. "Excellent as ever, old chum."

"Pika," his Pikachu replied; its voice was raspy, but sounded rather cute for an old Pikachu.

"You were awesome as well, Pikachu," Ash praised, kneeling down and cradling his best friend in his arms. Anabel went to his side and placed her tender hand on his shoulder comfortingly as Rui did with her grandfather. Paul quietly watched from where he stood. His stony expression was somber and unreadable. The five of them heard the wooden front door to Eagun's domicile creak open. Beluh appeared behind the door, softly clapping her hands together.

"That was the most invigorating battle I've ever since Eagun reached his summit," Beluh commented, smiling sweetly as she looked upon Ash. "I can see similar greatness in you, dear boy. It's no wonder you deserved that Master title upon the conclusion of your Elite Four Challenge."

"What?! Since when did _this_ happen?" Eagun demanded, apparently shocked by the revelation. Beluh still kept her smile and laughed to herself. "I was facing a _Pokémon Master_?!"

"His Elite Four and Champion matches were on television nearly a year ago, honey," Beluh clarified. "Don't you remember? You went through quite a fit when you were handling the remote upside-down and took out the batteries. Only after you stormed off into the Relic Forest to calm down did I fix it and watched this young man's performances." Despite all the long white hair that covered his face, the others could sense a dumbstruck look within Eagun's face, followed by a drawling grunt. The old man was never knowledgeable when it came to modern technology.

"Uh, that it did…!" Eagun concurred, shrugging weakly before glancing at the three heroes. "Ah, yes! I did promise you that I would decide if you are worthy to enter the Relic Forest and see the Relic Stone. That was a fantastic battle, win or lose. I'll escort you all there myself."

"Thank you so much, Eagun," Ash replied, politely bowing his head in gratitude alongside Anabel and Paul.

"You know, Ash," Beluh spoke up, stopping the group before they left, "not only do you remind me of Eagun, but you look so much like our son, S—."

"_Beluh_!" Eagun barked offhandedly, effectively stopping her from continuing. Beluh was nearly pushed into the verge of tears from his rather brutal reprimand. This was so unexpected from the Myth Trainer himself. His sudden, harsh tone had caused Ash, Anabel, and even Rui to cringe in fear. Paul's face merely winced, seeing as he was used to such austerity for the most part in his life.

"Eagun… it's already been decades! _Please_… just let it go… Let it go!"

"You know the rules ever since he left us for his journey, Beluh. We do not speak of that _argumentative, hot-headed, violent misfit_… _ever_!"

* * *

**I hope you all have been paying attention to the subtle plot movers despite the humor that inevitably took place. Paul is becoming more distant and colder towards the group, Anabel keeps worrying about Ash, and Ash hasn't a clue about either two. It seems that I'm continuing this chapter with the next. Day Three of the Tale is not even close to being over. For a short recap, Day One of the Tale is composed of Chapters One through Four, Day Two has Chapters Five through Eleven, and Day Three started from Chapter Twelve to now. Man, this is going to be a long author's note… **

**I just have two opinionated questions I want to share with you: don't you think Eagun and Beluh are coincidentally older versions of Ash and Anabel considering their similar personalities portrayed here? I just figured it out as I wrote this chapter. Second question: who do you think Eagun and Beluh's estranged son is, based on his accurate description in the chapter? If not, there will be more explanations in the next chapter to help your presumption, as well as the father-son falling out.**

**Kasuchi, Koichi; regarding your concerns from the last chapter, I saw Kamon as the greater rival for Jimmy than Marina or Vincent whether it was shown in the anime or not, which is why I gave him Feraligatr for the usual rival type advantage. And because Kamon and Paul are similar, it would kinda make sense for Barry to chase after him as well; plus, I needed Barry as another form of comic relief aside from Paul's slapstick sarcasm. And another thing, Pyramid King Brandon is **_**not**_** Paul and Reggie's father, contrary to popular belief. Maybe it is in fandom, but it is not canon as far as I'm concerned. Reggie was once a tough Trainer who gave up his career and became a Breeder after losing to Brandon due to having a "neat and organized battling style," but he lacked power. It's mainly the reason why Paul is adamant for power, so that he won't be like his brother. In the words of a wise friend of mine, he is a parallel to the **_**Naruto**_** character, Sasuke Uchiha: a "Sasuke wannabe" in short. **

**The same goes to anyone else who was confused due to my earlier amateur writing style and wants to know what they missed out on. So like I mentioned a while back and on my profile page, if you have any questions or concerns about my stories, such as the short biographies of the main characters, feel free to ask via review or Private Message. That's what I'm here for and I'll get to answering them as soon as I can.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback is welcome to me. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	18. Resemblance

**For those of you that are convinced of your answer to Eagun's son, then… we'll all together just have to wait for the answer to come out on its own later on. The same goes for the mystery characters I've introduced last chapter. It will be the matter on when and how it'll be revealed. This is now going to continue from the last chapter and hopefully answer more questions.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The emotional atmosphere around them had suddenly changed, from lighthearted humor to grave chastisement. The abrupt reprimand from the Myth Trainer froze the air as the cold silence had momentarily lingered in the small field in front of his residence. It was not expected, nor could it be explained why Eagun had changed moods from the mere mention of his and Beluh's son. His wife placed a hand over her heavy heart, attempting to keep her calm composure. From the young observers forced to wait on the side, Anabel could sense her distress, her sadness over the son Eagun forbade to speak of. The Salon Maiden could understand why she kept such hard feelings in her, but did not understood how. Judging from Eagun's current disposition along with uncertainty from Ash and Rui, he was not likely to explain his stubborn behavior anytime soon. Anabel also noticed that Paul was standing near the edge of the green incline, staring off into the south distance and viewing the bronze colors of Orre's desert.

_We're not getting anywhere with this_, Cresselia's voice echoed within her mind. _You know what you must do._ Anabel slightly bit her bottom lip; she knew the Lunar Pokémon was right without questioning. The empowering feeling rose within her from listening to Cresselia's influential words. The Salon Maiden stepped forward rather hesitantly, but took in a deep breath and felt her spiritual partner's power erase her worries.

"Everyone, you should know that there are two different types of fighting," Anabel began, snagging the attention from the company. Even Paul could not help but glance inquisitively, folding his arms. "But now is not the time to either fight, or to discuss their differences. We all have a job to do."

_Hmph, that's exactly what I've been telling your idiot boyfriend_, Paul thought, stoically scowling that she made better progress at getting everyone to unanimously agree.

"So Eagun, I don't mean to impose upon you and your lovely wife, but—."

"You youngsters have a Relic Stone to see," Eagun finished, resuming a rather jolly persona. Although Anabel was convinced that it was Cresselia behind the resolved tension, she could not help but feel a little bit satisfied with a beaming smile on her pale face for her own involvement. "So let's just forget our little episode and move on. Shall we?" Before anyone could answer the old man, he swiftly departed off. The company saw that he ran down the various hills and green pastures of the village within several blinks of their eyes, passing around the Pokémon Center and over the eastern wooden bridge. The remaining four youth were left to stare incredulously in his wake. As the four of them were about to leave down the slope, Ash quickly approached Rui with a meek, but inquiring expression.

"Did you know they had a son?" Ash asked her. Rui shook her head and weakly shrugged her shoulders.

"In all my yearly visits, I've never heard of them discuss about me having an uncle," Rui explained. "You see, I came from Grandma Beluh's side of the family. My father is her older brother's son. I know much about Grandma and her family, but Grandpa Eagun has been a bit of a mystery."

"That's interesting."

"Pi-ka…," Pikachu concurred in a big sigh.

"I thought I had finally understood my family roots and all visit after visit, but I never knew I had an uncle from them until now," Rui continued, glancing worriedly in the direction Eagun dashed off agilely to. "And to make things worse, I've never seen him so angry before, and not so much that it would even make Grandma cry…"

"That's too bad," Ash murmured sympathetically, lightly playing with the rim of his hat. Rui looked into his eyes, smiling for his gesture of compassion.

"I know it was just one slip-up, but I hope nothing else bad happens between my grandparents. I know Grandpa is impatient and stubborn at times, but he truly loves Pokémon. And Grandma, she's just so sweet and down-to-earth. She can almost understand what I'm feeling whenever I have the blues. To me, they're like the perfect example for couples that just want their love to surpass the limits of space and time and exist for all eternity." With a loving sigh, Rui stared into the sky with her hands clasped to the side of her head and her deep blue eyes sparkling under the sunlight. The moment became rather awkward for Ash as he slowly walked backward from the day-dreaming red-head. He paid attention to her concerns about her grandparents, but there was a time and place where her concerns became too personal and somewhat disturbing for him to listen to. He quickly joined Anabel and Paul by the top of the green hill right after he overheard her expressing a wistful sigh over a man named Wes.

"What were you and Rui talking about back there?" Anabel queried as Ash caught up with her down the slope; he slowed his pace reaching her right side. Her tone was fortunately calm and steady, but the young Aura Guardian could still sense some form of apprehension within.

"Uh, she was worried about her grandparents since that incident back there… with the…," Ash began, gesturing her with a beckoning hand to tilt her head close to him for a secretive whisper. "You know, about their _son_… and how their relationship would go…" Anabel fixed her posture after he finished his message, looking at him with an adoring shimmer in her lilac eyes.

"That was really sweet of you to do that," Anabel complemented, smiling genuinely and giving him a quick peck on his cheek, much to his sheepish surprise. "You've become such a gentleman over time. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"So I guess you're the luckiest girl in the whole world, right?" Ash replied; his tone playful and his arm placed around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing rather cutely.

"You have no idea how much happiness you brought me since you've grown enough to read my heart," Anabel sighed, nestling her head perfectly into the curve of his sturdy neck. Ash smiled to himself and with a gentle shove from Pikachu on his other shoulder, he laid his head softly upon hers closely, inhaling the soft herbal aroma of her clean lilac hair. "Say Ash, when _will_ we have our 'private time' now that we've arrive in Agate Village? You promised."

"We'll find our time together, Anabel," Ash muttered quietly, lightly placing a kiss on the top of her head, quickly burying a kiss within the strands of her short hair. Anabel giggled softly upon the warm sensation, snuggling her head deep into his neck as much as she could.

"How about we _first_ find out where Eagun went?" Paul interrupted, his head not even turning back to face them. _Lovesick idiots…_ His callous posture of keeping his hands in his pockets and keeping a fair distance ahead was troubling and insensitive as usual. As he walked ahead down the following green inclines and left the agitated couple and a bewildered Rui behind, one could only wonder what he was trying to accomplish.

* * *

"Finally! It took you whippersnappers a long time to get here!" Eagun ranted, mumbling several more inconsistencies under his beard as he paced about.

Ash, Anabel, and Paul had discovered the large gaping cave entrance hidden within the lower levels of Agate Village, courtesy of Rui's guidance. The pathways and hills of the forest village were still somewhat confusing to the young visitors, even when they passed through an established path once. With Rui leading the trio past the Pokémon Center through the wary glances of retired elderly Trainers, they all descended down the correct slope alongside the river and stumbled upon the entrance to the ancient Relic Forest where Eagun was waiting rather impatiently. The trio mutually shared an astounded thought of his remarkable physical condition at his great age, but then again, there was the incident when he confused Ash for another man because he forgot to open his eyes. Eagun was truly an enigma.

"We've had a bit of holdups, Grandpa," Rui replied, laughing lightheartedly as she rubbed the back of her head. "A bit? Yes. Short? I'm afraid not…" Behind her, Ash stood, with his arms folded resolutely across his fit chest, as the mediator of another possible bicker between his two allies of polar opposite beliefs and personalities. Even Pikachu imitated his best friend's stance on his shoulder, pretending to be as stable as a mountain while waiting for the animosity between Paul and Anabel to fade away. While he was sure that Paul was still struggling to find the right way to raise Pokémon from his old cruel methods to the ones Ash attempted to instill into him upon defeat, the young Aura Guardian knew that his rival would still keep the bitter, captious façade that he was famously known for.

"Ah, yes, the raging hormones of a teenager," Eagun muttered, clearing his throat gruffly. Rui and the accompanying trio of visitors approached him. "But we'll deal with your romance and whatnot another, Rui. I promised to give these kids a view of the Relic Stone, seeing as they are sincere and not part of that insidious Cipher group."

"Grandpa, I'm _not_ the one with the problems," Rui argued at his assumption. "And two, those creeps are called 'Reverse-Cipher' now. They broadcasted themselves on the news upon their return, remember?"

"Dear, if it was broadcasted, then you should know that I didn't watch it," Eagun mumbled, leading them inside the cave entrance of the Relic Forest. "I was too busy figuring out how that no-good remote thingamabob worked to even watch the wide-screen thingamajig hanging on the wall next to mine and Beluh's framed wedding photo." Rui exhaled a frustrated sigh, throwing her arms up in surrender before compliantly following her grandfather and their new friends within the Relic Cave. The insides of the cave's tunnel were covered with moss and craters of fresh spring water bubbling from underground. Up ahead from the short curving path was a new exit in the form of a gaping, blinding light, bright as the sun itself. Ash and the others covered their eyes partially from the strong light; they were unsure of what Eagun was leading them into.

"Is this it…?" Ash asked, his tone raised as the uncertainty struck him and his allies as a swift invisible wave. The light consumed them upon passing through the exit.

"Yep, we're here," Eagun replied nonchalantly. His visitors lowered their arms. The light was no longer harsh to their eyes; rather, it casted a warm and soothing glow from above the towering trees surrounding their secluded spot. "Welcome to the Relic Forest, home to none other than the sacred Relic Stone."

The Myth Trainer presented before the young visitors the cylindrical rock monument a few meters ahead on the stone footpath. The setting was just right for the revered memorial to the legendary Celebi. A soft beam of sunlight cast above from the heavens singled it out from the entire serene forest. The forest itself looked healthy and flourished, yet it was unpopulated by any forest wild Pokémon despite remaining untouched by human kind. The area itself must have been isolated from the rest of Agate Village and the entire Orre region if the Relic Stone was truly cherished and blessed, not to be risked at all. As the company carefully approached the rock monument, a sort of powerful precognitive feeling struck only Ash.

_Uh… What…?_ Ash thought; his eyes shut involuntarily, but not noticeably enough for the others to take heed. Within the darkness of his covering eyelids, his powerful senses momentarily opened up. Nature had found a way to communicate with him the only way capable of singling him out, through aura. He could see a sort of light shaded in forest green from a distance. It radiated like the push and pull of an ocean wave. He could feel a sanctified presence living within it, a familiar presence.

… _Bii…!_

_It's… aura; it's calling out to me…_

"Ash?" a tender voice spoke. The young Aura Guardian snapped out of his trance, only to find the eyes of the Salon Maiden looking into his eyes rather closely. Ash stepped back with a quiet grunt, surprised to see her that close in his space. "Is something the matter? I saw you just froze and closed your eyes."

"It's nothing," Ash lied; his tone was calm and somewhat curt. Anabel gave him an unconvinced look and placed her hands on her slender waist. "Really, it's nothing of concern, Anabel." After what seemed to be a moment that lasted for almost a binding eternity, Anabel nodded in acknowledgement, albeit reluctantly, and urged him to catch up to the others. It would only take a few strides along the stone path to reach the Relic Stone.

"Listen, if there's anything you need to discuss, know that I'm always here for you," Anabel muttered sincerely to him and winked as they caught up with Eagun, Paul, and Rui by the Relic Stone. As they slowed their pace and gingerly approached them, the Relic Stone began to give off a dim green glow from its many olden crevices.

"Strange, that doesn't happen often," Eagun commented, stroking his beard as he gazed upon the phenomenon curiously.

"He's right," Rui concurred, also examining the radiating Relic Stone from every angle. "The only time the Relic Stone would glow like this is if there's a Shadow Pokémon ready to experience a complete one-eighty degree turn in their lives. The power of Celebi would allow them to experience their past memories as happier Pokémon and thus open the doors to their hearts."

"How do _you_ know so much?" Paul queried, his eyebrow raised skeptically. Rui did not look at him, still inspecting the Relic Stone for an explanation.

"I traveled with Wes and helped him snag Shadow Pokémon with my 'gifted eyes' several years ago," Rui explained, probing a bottom fissure of the stone monument, which also gave off a soft green light.

"Snag Shadow Pokémon…?" Anabel mused. The realization quickly struck her, as well as Ash and Paul. "Wait. So does that mean…?"

"Yeah, that's right," Rui answered, having received the impression from their astounded expressions and stunned reactions. Her tone of voice was flat, though. "Wes was indeed the first savior of Orre and I was his lovable sidekick before that kid, Michael, took over. With my ability to see the anguishing black aura Shadow Pokémon emitting from their bodies, I helped Wes figure out which Pokémon to snag and purify without accidentally stealing innocent ones from other Trainers."

"Then what happened when Cipher struck a second time?" Ash asked.

"Wes and I were at my home region from far away, dating in a way," Rui explained; her tone softened and a slight red blush filled the color of her cheeks. "We honestly had no idea Cipher had risen until we came back and the media celebrated Michael's success of liberating Lugia and convincing the new Grand Master to surrender. Of course, we all thought it was the end of Cipher… but we had no idea that one had managed to escape the authorities for so long."

_Ardos…!_ Paul thought; his face distorted in burning rage and his scowl brutally violent. His trembling growls and darkness from within boiled slowly, but the imminent threat to the Relic Forest was forewarned. Rui hid behind the Relic Stone, frightened by his fierce display of power while Eagun, Ash, and Anabel stepped away.

"What's with _him_ all of a sudden?!" Rui demanded, lifting her head slightly above the Relic Stone before quickly retreating as black and crimson energy discharges sparked from his body. "What did I say?"

"Paul's never on good terms with criminal organizations," Ash explained, keeping his cool as he and Anabel slowly approached Paul. "He fiercely believes that no matter how annoying and persistent they are, he would see them as nothing more than cowards that flaunt their unrealistic power until backed into a corner."

"What's that got to do with what I said earlier?!"

"He _also_ had an earlier run-in with Cipher back at Kanto when they faked an alliance with a local criminal organization called Team Rocket," Anabel added. She and Ash cautiously surrounded him. The raging Trainer was breathing heavily; the mastered powers of Darkrai retracted back into his body. "I can't believe I'm going to say this… Paul, are you okay?" His breaths were still heavy. He looked at both Ash and Anabel and slowly nodded that he was now calm.

"Hmph," Paul grunted, resuming his unapproachable posture of arms crossed and a sour expression present on his hardened face.

"Yes, now that everything's settled, shall I get back to giving a history lesson on the Relic Stone?" Eagun asked, his tone casual despite Paul's temper getting the best of them all. All four youth nodded, ready to listen intently to his words. Though Rui had heard this story several times in her visits, the legend never got old for her. "Very good. Long ago when the world was young, our nomadic ancestors sought to expand communities around the world. They eventually stumbled upon the barren wasteland that is now present-day Orre. Once they had discovered this fertile piece of land within the desolate sands of Orre, they gave grace to the one being responsible for the flourishing forests: the legendary Celebi. They say Celebi had blessed this very meadow so that its trees and flora would never perish to age, unlike us humans whose bodies _must_ eventually decay back into the earth."

"So Celebi is involved a lot more in this than we realize it, right?" Paul asked, looking up to receive a steady nod from the old man. "Aside from Ash and his powerful aura to cleanse the darkness of Shadow Pokémon, even with the ShadowPokérus infection, Celebi's power of time-travel could also reach out to them and make them see who they really are."

"That makes a lot of sense actually," Ash concurred, scratching the back of his head.

"But then, since Celebi is very elusive, does that mean it can purify a Shadow Pokémon as soon as they encounter each other?" Anabel queried.

"Because Celebi's power resides in this dedicated shrine built by our ancestors on this spot, the influence of the shadows around a Pokémon's heart must be greatly weakened first," Eagun explained. "Celebi itself can probably cure a Shadow Pokémon even at its greatest. However…" His voice faded away in a dour tone. He looked down upon the still shimmering Relic Stone; its stimulus was still unknown to them. "With the rise to newfangled technology doohickeys, there's no telling what lengths Cipher has gone to create the ultimate Shadow Pokémon, completely resistant to normal purification."

"You have _no_ idea," Paul mumbled grimly to himself, gazing upon the stone shrine with a rather contemplative look in his eyes.

"The only known way to summon Celebi to the Relic Stone is through an ancient instrument called the Time Flute," Eagun continued, pacing about with his chin held high with a hand gripping strands of his beard. Ash and his allies leaned in close, interested in the topic for any possible help. "Those things, however, have become sparse in these latter days. Our ancestors couldn't risk the power of Celebi in the hands of evil with those instruments."

"Eagun, what is it about Time Flutes that attracts Celebi to their siren?" Anabel asked, tapping her fingers together innocently. The Myth Trainer grunted quietly, glancing into the sky where the beam of sunlight shone upon the Relic Stone.

"The Time Flute, when played, sends out a unique frequency that attracts Celebi. No matter what time period they reside in or their location, they would come here in seeking that soothing, wondrous melody they love… Well, it sounds soothing and wonderful to us lesser beings, but Celebi are bright creatures despite their playful looks. They can feel the inner frequency within the music, among many other things, including aura."

"A-Aura?" Ash grunted; the very mention of his newly mastered specialty caught him by surprise. Eagun gave him a glance, unreadable due to his long white hair covering his face.

"You know, I've recently read tales about the Aura Guardians of old to add to my expanding knowledge of myths and legends," Eagun clarified, placing a strong, wrinkled hand on Ash's empty shoulder and motioned him to follow. "Quite a bunch of strong individuals, I'd say if they're capable of manipulating their unique essence like that. However, there was one famous Aura Guardian in history's records that stated that he fully mastered his control over his powerful aura. They say he even taught a Lucario his own mastery. His name… is Sir Aaron of Rota."

Eagun was very knowledge to such tales to the olden past. It was not just because his choice of apparel was like that of mystical temple sages, including his long white hair. Many legends, many Pokémon involved in them, he was willing and proud to learn about them. His comprehension of many of the Pokémon legends around the world would even startle those around him. He gained much respect and admiration from Agate Village, the Orre region, and possibly the places he once traversed through. Ash understood that he was the main elder of the serene forest village for a reason. Both powerful Trainers walked to a round corner of the stone path as Anabel, Paul, and Rui examined the Relic Stone once the forest green light had slowly faded back into its fissures.

"That's… a lot of wisdom you've acquired," Ash gulped, greatly impressed by the Myth Trainer's knowledge.

"My personal favorite myths are those of Ho-Oh and Celebi," Eagun added, holding two fingers up to magnify his appreciation and chuckled. The mention of Ho-Oh made Ash's first memory as a Pokémon Trainer resurface. It was unsure to him how quickly the nostalgia struck him, or how encouraging it felt, but he had to share it with the old man.

"Eagun, I've seen Ho-Oh… the day I left for my journey," Ash muttered in a trembling, awestruck tone. He heard Eagun draw his breath sharply and stepped back as the Myth Trainer attempted to allow the sudden big news sink in. "I've seen it two more times. It flew to the Hoenn region four years… and then I saw it again passing over Kanto some time after." Eagun stepped back slowly as though he suffered an abrupt heart attack, nearly losing his footing over the round stone platform over the grassy meadow. "Eagun!"

"I'm fine…," Eagun gasped, regaining his balance on the edge. Ash assisted him back to their spot with utmost care. "Thanks for that, young man. I needed a good scare to put me back in shape."

"But I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted—."

"I know you didn't mean to, but you've got to consider my age… Ha, ha… You'd be amazed by this news, Ash. You _most_ likely resemble me at my youth than anyone else. It's not just because of your brashness or the fact that your best friend is a Pikachu."

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I saw a Ho-Oh several years back when Wes and my granddaughter took down Cipher for the first time," Eagun explained, regaining the life of breath from every pant. "It was apparently impressed by Wes' dedication to renounce his criminal ways and save the Pokémon from a horrific fate…" He took a long pause, considering the past events of his life as they played back in his mind's eye. Ash and Pikachu looked at him, wondering if he was suddenly meditating for no reason, judging from his solemn expression.

"That's a pretty interesting story about Orre's history, Eagun," Ash remarked, glancing and smiling at his buddy. The Mouse Pokémon also returned the amiable gestures as he received a good rub on the head from Ash's hand. "Do you think Ho-Oh was flying to the Orre region back then?" He heard a quiet, yet gruff chuckle rumble in Eagun's throat and saw that he placed his hand on his old chest.

"It's funny, actually," Eagun mumbled, inferring to one of his memories. "My son… he claimed that the night before he left for his journey, he saw a legendary Fire Pokémon soar in the skies of Orre."

"Ho-Oh?" Ash suggested. His answer was rejected by a somber shake of his head and the long sways of his white hair and beard. "Then… who?" Eagun sighed with a melancholic look in his shriveled eyes. He glanced into the passionate auburn eyes of his young visitor; they were almost as fierce and determined as _his_.

"That's where the problem lies in… that's how our falling-out began… and ended with neither one of us speaking to each other ever again," Eagun spoke, his tone shaking and unstable. "He argued that the Pokémon he saw wasn't the legendary Ho-Oh. I… I chastised his claims as blasphemy of the highest shame as there was no bigger honor than to see a Ho-Oh before your journey. But… my son, whose name I can no longer say due to coldness and spite, was determined to prove me wrong… by finding out what the magnificent creature was and challenge it to a battle. I was tenaciously proud of what I believed in, all those myths and legends of Ho-Oh I was determined to learn about… and so, I renounced him."

His paused silence came to them in the form of a cold wind blowing pass them and into the Relic Cave. His only flaw, his single imperfection, was the stubborn rift he created between his own offspring and allowed to expand for all these many decades. As much as he wanted to sympathize and show more compassion to the old Myth Trainer, Ash could not fully comprehend the years' worth of pain and separation from a family member like that. He never knew much about his own father, nor could he hope to find him since he did not know what he would look like as of late. He could not truly understand Eagun's repressed pain without a father. So far he had only listened to bedtime tales from his mother about him being the greatest Trainer at a very young age, a Pokémon Master in other words. If becoming the best of all the top Trainers in the world was to help him find out who his father was, then Ash Ketchum had another motive to strive in becoming a Pokémon Master. Even up to now, he still could not find clues, but perhaps saving the world would finally draw him out into the open.

"What happened… to your son, I mean, after your falling-out?" Ash asked humbly.

"He left Agate Village with his Starter Pokémon without another word to me or his mother," Eagun finally said, stabilizing his composure. "Beluh's heart was broken… and took many years for her to recover. She blamed no one, though she was upset that I allowed such a travesty to happen… and I agree." He placed his large hands on Ash's shoulders and looked the young Aura Guardian straight in the eye. "That was the reason why Beluh nearly compared you to him. For some reason or another, you bore a great resemblance to the both of us, father and son. I would _so_ take you on as a grandson, but no one can be certain. So we'll leave our talk here for now, just between the two of us great Trainers."

"I understand," Ash whispered, nodding slightly. Eagun placed a friendly arm on his shoulder and led him back to the others around the Relic Stone. Anabel went up to him and took Eagun's place with her own arm around his body, much to Ash's sheepish comfort.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Rui asked her grandfather. Ash glanced at him, wondering what he was going to answer her.

"Just… some Pokémon Master stuff for him to know," Eagun mumbled. "Many Trainers, once they know, will attempt to challenge him for his title no matter what. They'll come out of the woodworks just to get an autograph from him or something of the sort."

"That's… interesting," Rui replied, her tone rather chary.

"You can go back home to Beluh now if you want, Rui," Eagun suggested, pressing his hands together. "There's nothing more I can offer you here." Rui shifted her gaze from her grandfather to Anabel, who merely looked at her in question with her arm wrapped around Ash.

"Actually…," Rui began, holding the last syllable in a long hum, "I'd like to spend some time with Anabel. Just for some girl talk is all." Without another word, she ran towards the Salon Maiden and snagged her by the wrist. Before Anabel knew it, she was forcibly dragged off her feet and had no other alternative but to play along.

_I guess I could use some girl time_, Anabel thought, running behind Rui into the Relic Cave as she felt her tightened grip on her wrist. Before disappearing into the cave, she used her free arm to wave good-bye to Ash, hoping he saw it. It was too bad that his wave, albeit a rather weak one, went unnoticed as the two young women left.

"Well, we still have the rest of the day to spend on training," Paul openly recommended, shrugging unconcernedly. "Eagun, do you know of a good place for us to catch up on training?" He and Ash heard a thoughtful grunt rumble in his rasping throat before a smile formed within his beard.

"Actually, I do know of a secret, secluded spot that no one has discovered as of yet, except for myself," Eagun mused, arranging his arms in a pondering gesture. He tapped his fingers on his covered chin, trying to remember where the said location was. He snapped his long fingers; the memory came back to him. "Ah, yes! I found it somewhere inside the Relic Cave. No one bothered asking it from me, so it's a wonder how I still remember it."

"Hmph, that's excellent," Paul commented, walking towards the Relic Cave. His pace was slow so that Eagun could catch up. He quickly glanced back to see him, but also noticed that Ash was not moving from his spot near the Relic Stone. "You coming or what?"

"Can you guys tell me about it later, outside the Pokémon Center once evening hits?" Ash asked, still gazing upon the Relic Stone. Its forest green radiance shined bright out of the many gaps between the old gray blocks. "I don't know why, but I feel like there's something calling out to me from the Relic Stone."

… _Bii…!_

_There it goes again, except it's louder_, Ash thought, cautiously approaching the Relic Stone. The childlike voice called out to him; its voice was louder the closer he was to the monument.

"Hmph, I swear you're just as paranoid as those old Trainers that were giving us the evil eye," Paul remarked, baring an open snarl at the side of his mouth. "Fine, be that way." He left for the cave with a cold shoulder. Eagun approached the young Aura Guardian with one last piece of guidance.

"Well, whatever you have left to do with the Relic Stone, I trust you enough to leave you responsible with it," Eagun advised, patting his shoulder and leaving him on his own to show Paul his training spot. All alone with Pikachu in the Relic Forest, Ash sat down on the cold stone ground cross-legged and stared meditatively into the mysterious rock shrine that seemed to only call out to him.

* * *

"Here! Sit down over here, Anabel!" Rui called out to the reluctant Salon Maiden, tapping with an open hand upon a spot of grass next to her. She sat by her favorite corner by the Agate riverside ever since her first visit as a young child, her bare feet in the water and her pink boots next to her on land. It was on the side opposite of the waterfall; the waters were tranquil and stable. "The water's great over here!"

"The last time I tried to do that, I was punished by being shoved into the water in my good clothes," Anabel replied, her arms curled close to her. Rui smiled, attempting to show that no one would harm her like that with another beckoning pat on the ground.

"Oh, come on!" Rui exclaimed, kicking up some splashes lightheartedly. "I've played by this spot since I was a little girl. I've swam in it, I pretended to fish in it only to hook up some of the other retired Trainers' Water Pokémon; there's no need to be afraid the Agate River. You've really got to loosen up a bit."

Rui was quite persistent in her encouraging urging. She wanted the Salon Maiden to dip her feet in the water and relax. At least her motives were sincere, possibly a way to make up for the incident with Ash earlier. She did not have to apologize to her again. Anabel was reasonable, and fortunately understood the circumstances that could have led to the mistake. But now, it was Rui's turn to be a gracious host and offer her something of comfort. Not wanting to continuously offend her by denying her requests, Anabel gave her a slow nod and approached her. She took a deep calming breath and unbuckled her black shoes. The first step was done and all that was left were her long white socks walking upon the fertile grass.

"Well… here I go," Anabel muttered softly, slipping her last sock off her left foot and stuffed it into her shoe. She stood her place next to Rui as instructed, pulling up and folding the legs of her formal purple trousers above her knees. Rui nodded, motioning her hand in a slow circle to support her to continue. Anabel sat down with her knees pointing up, glancing at Rui. The older redhead smiled; there was not much more she could do for the Salon Maiden. After a few seconds and a soft breeze caressed her face, Anabel extended her legs out into the river. She placed one foot in first, discovering the natural coolness as an alerting stimulus to her senses.

"You've got it! Let the cold help ease your tension."

"O-Okay," Anabel mumbled. Her pale foot felt a bit numb from the first few seconds of submergence, even after she wiggled her toes. She placed her left foot in, expecting to feel the same response of screaming at the top of her lungs the frigidness of the water while biting her own lip down. "A… ahh…" She sighed contentedly for the first time in weeks. _Rui was right. The water definitely feels great!_

"Sounds like you've finally adjusted," Rui giggled, smiling to her and stared into the reflections of her and Anabel in the calm water. The moment was quiet and she could tell that Anabel was starting to enjoy herself, creating waves of her own with well-timed, rhythmic kicks. The Salon Maiden seemed so nice. Rui was curious about her. "So… did you and Ash have a long history together?"

"He and I first met around Tohjo Falls," Anabel started, feeling a lot less uneasy from the hospitality Rui offered her to submerge her feet in cool water. "You see, I was the Kanto Frontier Brain in charge of the Battle Tower and he was a challenger."

"You worked for the Battle Frontier?" Rui asked, her tone incredulous. She heard of such a prestigious challenge. Even though it was not as popular as the Pokémon League Championships and Conferences in the four sponsored regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, she was well aware of the excitement that many Trainers yearned to be a part of. Her gaping mouth fell into an open smile that wanted to squeal loudly. "Oh, my gosh! You must really be a powerful Trainer if you were chosen to be a part of them!"

"And at a very young age, too… I was like twelve-years old or so when Scott discovered my talent of communicating with my Pokémon telepathically. I'm not a strong psychic, so to say, but I guess I could say that I was really gifted with the ability to sense the feelings of Pokémon."

"Can sense the feelings of Pokémon, eh?" Rui mused to herself. She flicked a splash of water with a foot, contemplating on what Anabel said sounded so familiar. She glanced at the Salon Maiden, who resumed playing with the water since she thought that Rui lost interest in her. "Anabel, since you and those other two guys wanted to know more about the Relic Stone, does that mean you guys are Orre's new heroes or something?"

"Um, that's right," Anabel replied; her expression was read as confused. She was unsure what Rui was trying to get at with that inquiry, but it did not seem to hurt to answer her.

"So then, how do you guys differentiate which Pokémon Reverse-Cipher has are corrupted with this new Pokérus strain, at least from what I've heard?" Rui asked. She was willing to try out a theory, but before she could reveal it, she needed a lot more specific information from Anabel. "How did you guys make it this far in the Orre region?" Anabel curved her lip whether to answer her group's methods of dealing with Reverse-Cipher and infected Shadow Pokémon, opting rather to stare at her pastel feet moving about underwater. However, Rui was very persistent. How else was she able to convince her to join her by the river? Anabel exhaled quietly, carefully considering her choice of words in her head before blowing Rui away with her wild stories.

"Do you remember the brief history of Aura Guardians your grandfather shared with us?" Anabel replied, receiving a confirming nod from the redhead.

"I also did my own research of specific branches of individuals that learned how to manipulate their aura in a specific way, but please continue."

"Well believe it or not, Ash happens to be a direct descendent of Sir Aaron himself," Anabel spoke bluntly; she could not think of any other way to convey the startling message. Rui nearly fell over into the river into shock if Anabel had not caught her. "You okay?" Her new friend was breathing heavily, nodding vigorously for her to continue with her tale. "Okay… anyway, Ash received a revelation from a Cresselia that he was related to both Sir Aaron and Queen Rin through a special form of conception and soon learned that his own mother was once part of the royal Cameran family, but greatly preferred a more peaceful life and renounced—."

"Okay! I think… I got it…!" Rui interrupted, still recovering from the shock and fanned herself with both hands. "That's… a great story, Anabel. But you want to know what I think?"

"Hmm?"

"I think Ash is not the only one related to greatness and power," Rui replied, winking slyly. Anabel raised an eyebrow, completely lost in her implications. Her friend sighed rather exasperatedly, looking back into the quiet reflecting water. "What I'm trying to say is that you can sense a Pokémon's feelings, a honed sense of empathy, correct?"

"That actually hits the nail on the head," Anabel commented, placing her hands together on her lap. "I still don't see where you're trying to go with this, Rui."

"Can you sense black aura from Shadow Pokémon as well as Ash could since you said he's a capable Aura Guardian?"

"To a certain extent, I suppose, but I…"

The insight had dawned upon the Salon Maiden. Rui's implications, if Anabel was precisely correct about them, were quite outrageous to believe firsthand. She bore a flabbergasted expression similar to that of Rui's earlier face upon discovering that Ash was an heir to the most revered Aura Guardian from the world's early history. She saw a smirk marked across Rui's face, followed by another playful wink and a peace sign from her right hand. Anabel attempted to regain her equanimity, narrowing her lilac eyes back to their usual level of serenity and closing her gaping mouth. Rui tilted her head to the side, wondering if the Salon Maiden regained control over herself.

"Do you need a further explanation on my theories?" Rui proposed, eagerly clasping her hands together.

"Please do," Anabel replied, her voice abrupt.

"Well, the stories I've learned from Grandpa Eagun went like this," Rui started, retracting her feet out of the water and onto her side. "We all know that the Kanto region back in the 'olden days' was home to the royal family with several of the best Aura Guardians around. They were well-rounded in both offensive and defensive tactics on aura manipulation. Of course, they were not the _only_ branches around to be able to use aura spectacularly."

"What do you mean?"

"There were the lesser known branches from the other three main regions of Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn. I couldn't say the same for the Orre region because there were still explorers attempting to establish civilizations back then, but that's beside the point. As I was saying, there were lesser branches of Aura Guardians with their own special techniques and uses of aura. The Sinnoh side branch is second to the royal Kanto Cameran family with their explosive power and strength. The Johto herald branch has a family of messengers and other Guardians that mastered aura in many defensive methods, such as stealth, escapes, and impenetrable barriers."

"And what of the Hoenn branch?" Anabel queried suddenly.

"So I take it you're from Hoenn then?"

"That's right. I'm from Verdanturf Town, to be more exact."

"Then you should be able to relate a lot more to this particular story as I did," Rui surmised, grinning widely and giggled. "After all, we're both capable of sensing a sort of black aura from Shadow Pokémon, right? And then there's your added telepathy. But enough about that…" She took a deep breath from her rambling, preparing her next story as concisely for Anabel to understand that she was also a part of greatness with her own inherent gifts. "The Hoenn branch, unlike the first three regions, is made of several different families instead of just one all-powerful family. It's one of the reasons why the Hoenn branch is not so much as venerated as much as the other three branches. Heck, it couldn't even match up to the Johto herald branch. But unlike the others, the conglomeration of unique families was all united in spirit, making them feel that working together would make them just as great and strong as the other three." She glanced at Anabel's expression: wide-eyed, gaping, and completely disbelieving.

"S-So… what's their s-specialty?" Anabel managed to ask in spite of her awestruck trance.

"Because they were connected in spirit, they, in truth, received the most benefits of learning about their individual aura instead of using them in colorful explosions and whatnot," Rui explained, giggling after her last word. "Great! I sound just like Grandpa Eagun now. Oh, well… The Hoenn capacity branch, with the many families' special uses of their aura, was the closest in harmony to nature and to Pokémon. The only war the Hoenn region had to worry about was the one between Groudon and Kyogre. I guess it would seem that from one of those different families in the Hoenn capacity branch, we received our unique gifts, even including Grandma Beluh. It's a reason why we're here to help our heroes in finding the Pokémon in need and saving their hearts from the shadows."

"I… I don't know what to say," Anabel murmured. The revelation left her in quite a shock. She looked down at the water where her feet were and pulled them out so they would not prune. "All I can say now… is that Ash and I are _so_ meant to be!" Her recover was most astounding, even causing Rui to lean back on her arms from her sudden burst of happiness.

_At least she has someone to comfort her in her time of need_, Rui thought, her smile for her new friend faded into a straight line across her face. Thoughts of _him_ began to resurface as Anabel began to pine for Ash since he had not returned from the Relic Forest, much to her surprise. All the more, she began to miss the man that save her and inadvertently snagged her heart. _Oh_ _Wes, you told me that that you've given up on your past. Why would you want to find the woman that abandoned you into Team Snagem's hands? Why couldn't have taken me with you?_

_Because it's too dangerous!_ Wes' voice echoed harshly within her mind. She cringed from the painful memory, closing her eyes tightly. Despite meeting new friends, she wished her personal nightmare would finally end and that he would return to her.

_But Wes… I… I love you!_

_I love you, too, Rui. But I can't risk it with you. _

_I don't understand…_

_It's because love you too much that I'm not taking the risk. I'm not going to let my past endanger you. I finally found my mother, but she's become a threat. I'm sorry, Rui… Good-bye…_

_Y-You… jerk! I hope you steal something and finally GET CAUGHT YOURSELF!_

Rui wished she had not told him off like that. She knew he cared about her despite his roguish looks and somewhat apathetic charms. She was his soft side, someone that was worth fighting for and to protect with his entire life. He kept her safe throughout his liberation of Shadow Pokémon and the defeat of Cipher several years ago. She thought she could finally live in peace with him, but his accursed past and involvement as a thief would eventually catch up and haunt him. The only problem in her mind was why he was so defiant in preventing her from following him like before. Whatever the reason, she could not hold onto him and she worsened her chances of getting back with him.

"Anabel?" Rui asked; her tone was docile.

"What's up, Rui?" Anabel replied, drying her pale feet on the grass before putting her socks back on. "I really must thank you for this girl talk. It wasn't what I expected at first, but it was just so enlightening to know where my abilities came from. I must also thank your grandfather for taking his time to learn these old stories."

"Yeah, it was nothing, but I just have one request of you."

"What is it?" Anabel asked. Rui suddenly took her right hand with both of hers; the light in her wide blue eyes shimmered. "Uh… Rui?"

"Please… _never_ let go of Ash if he really promised you a lifetime, nay eternal, worth of happiness," Rui pleaded in a desperate whisper. "Your devotion to Ash reminded me so much of mine and Wes' relationship, or what was left of it. It's _so_ difficult to live life right now the way _I_ want to with Wes up and gone, especially the way I told him off. If you truly love him, keep him close to your heart." Her story of the Hoenn capacity branch totally fitted Anabel perfectly. The Salon Maiden's lilac eyes glimmered and her sweet smile represented her complete empathy for her heartbroken situation.

"You don't have to worry about it, Rui," Anabel whispered back. Rui could have sworn that a tear sparkled in the corner of her innocent eyes. "Now that Ash was able to read my heart, he couldn't bear himself to be rid of it, just as I to him."

* * *

"Come on already!" Ash yelled to the Relic Stone. "Speak to me or something!" A few hours had passed since the others had left the Relic Forest and the young Aura Guardian remained in a cross-legged position in front of the monument. Pikachu was taking a nap next to him, having been rudely awoken prematurely with a sour expression on his face.

"Pi-ka…," Pikachu growled, stretching his limbs since there was no use to fall back asleep. According to the position of the sun within the tree branched skies, evening was approaching. Anabel and Paul, mainly Anabel, would be wondering why he had no returned to the Pokémon Center as of yet.

… _Bii…!_

"There it goes again, Pikachu," Ash pointed out. "The same voice over and over…" The Mouse Pokémon was oblivious on what his best friend was planning, but to him, the Relic Stone still looked the same. It radiated a green glow from its fissures as Ash sat close by.

"Pika," Pikachu sighed exasperatedly, lightly smacking his small forehead with a hand. He calmly approached the sitting Aura Guardian and effortlessly gave him a slight jolt of his electrical power.

"Pikachu, what was that for?!" Ash demanded, attempting to stand up in a huff. The hours' worth of remaining cross-legged had cut off a bit of circulation in his legs. In other words, they fell asleep and he had a hard time standing up straight or just standing up at all. "Aah! Can't control my legs!" Ash stumbled about and yelled, inadvertently falling near the Relic Stone. He caught his balance with his hand grabbing the top of the glowing monument, ultimately becoming a catalyst in beckoning forth a useful ally in their battle against Reverse-Cipher and Shadow Giratina.

The Relic Stone resonated even brighter than before upon Ash's touch. The forest green light was pouring out through the crevices. The answer came to Ash as he heard the playful voice calling out to him in his mind; it was almost screaming for him to respond back. The voice was comprehensible enough for him to identify its familiarity. Following the instinctive command boiling within his gut, he placed both hands upon the Relic Stone and applied his aura. The powerful, noble frequency that his spirit gave out received an answer in the form of a spiraling green vortex that appeared overhead. The being that called out to him came through the hole with a playful expression, flying all around them until the intense power of both his aura and the being's vortex gradually dissipated.

"Bii!" the legendary being exclaimed, flying into a small loop before smiling back at Ash.

"It's Celebi, just like Eagun said!" Ash yelled, stumbling back from the Relic Stone and fell flat on his behind from the surprise.

"Pi-ka…!" Pikachu muttered, amazed to see simply appear before them.

"Ele-bii!" Celebi laughed, fluttering close in front of Ash's face. "Bii-Bii-Bii-Bii-Bii-Bii!" With one good look at him, the Time Travel Pokémon flew around him in unbridled joyfulness. It was as though it acted like it knew him from somewhere. Celebi glided towards Pikachu, picking him up by the arms and started to swing him wildly around in the air as though they were dancing.

"Celebi, what are you doing?" Ash asked, chuckling at the adorable sight, much to Pikachu's nauseating expense. Celebi slowly placed the dizzy Mouse Pokémon back on the ground and hovered close to Ash.

"Le-Bii! Bii-Bii-Bii," Celebi explained, gesturing to Ash to follow its body's example. The Time Travel Pokémon held out its hands in front, palms open. Ash followed suit, only for Celebi to touch his palms and his special aura radiated into his hand beyond his control.

"My aura… is that what called you here?" Ash queried, the puzzle in his head forming together carefully and the answer becoming even clearer than before.

The radiating light of his aura engulfed Celebi, accepting the partial amounts into its body as his blue mixed together with its green aura, creating a potent yellow flash before their eyes. Unable to see what happened with his physical eyes, Ash attempted to use his aura senses to see what was going. He could sense Pikachu's aura nearby as well as the sacred, bland, and soothing aura of the entire Relic Forest surrounding him. However, he could not sense another set of forest green aura apart from that of the Relic Stone. Celebi was nowhere to be found. Ash quickly reopened his eyes and discovered that the Time Travel Pokémon had disappeared within the flash.

_If you're wondering where I am, then don't fret_, Celebi's voice resonated within the seclusion of the Relic Forest, speaking eloquently in English while retaining its natural playfulness. Ash and Pikachu twisted their heads around to see where Celebi was hiding, but the tactic proved fruitless. _Call me anytime with the sound of your beautiful aura if you want to play with me again! I would love to help you out, just like when you saved me some years ago. But then again, who's counting?_

"Pikachu?" Ash whispered, glancing upon his astounded buddy. Pikachu leapt back into his spot on his shoulder and returned the perplexed look. "I think we just found an old friend waiting to repay us at the right moment…"

* * *

"Ash! Pikachu! Over here!" Anabel yelled, waving for him to run up the slope and across the bridge to meet her in front the Pokémon Center with Paul next to her. Ash dashed towards them as fast as he could, quickly running low on stamina due to his hunger in the evening. She walked over to the tired duo and embraced Ash for getting back. "What took you so long down there?"

"I, uh, I've been learning more and more about the Relic Stone within the passing hours," Ash explained, debating in his mind whether he should tell her and Paul about his sudden encounter with the legendary Celebi. "So did I arrive in time for dinner?"

"You came in just in time," Anabel sighed, tightly embracing him, much to his discomfort.

"That's what she said," Paul muttered, smirking as he approached the reunited couple. Anabel overheard his comment and became totally flustered at his extreme lack of proper etiquette.

"Of course she said it; why wouldn't she?" Ash queried, confused on why Anabel reacted rather harshly to the aforementioned comment. Even though he was sometimes the last to know certain things, Anabel gave him a smack to his arm for agreeing with him, of all people. "Hey! What did I do?"

"Oh, brother," Paul scoffed, attempting to hide any urge to laugh at his rival's complete and oblivious idiocy. As the Salon Maiden stormed off into the Pokémon Center to cool off and left a very confused Aura Guardian in her wake, Paul approached him and took a deep breath for an announcement. "Okay, so in exchange for allowing the both of us to use his personal training meadow hidden within the Relic Cave, Eagun wants you start off first day for the seven-day training until those Reverse-Cipher Admins arrive."

"Wait? What?!"

"You were still with that Relic Stone when the message came by," Paul explained. "It seems that we've finally earned Reverse-Cipher's recognition, so now two Admins by the names of Dakim and Gorigan are coming here in seven days to either capture us or this village. Hmph, it seemed rather honorable of them to let us now of their coming, but I'd say that was their biggest mistake yet." As Paul finished his news and walked off into the Pokémon Center, Ash was left dumbfounded on how the entire day turned out. And of course once Anabel would forgive him for his foolish mistake of whatever it was he said to agree with Paul, they would resume on finding the perfect time for their personal time.

* * *

**And there you have it. A lot of explanations have been revealed, such as more clues to Eagun's son, Anabel's inherent empathy, possibly Wes' mother, the encounter with a strangely familiar Celebi, and another Cipher attack as foretold two chapters ago. It was quite honorable of Dakim and Gorigan to let them know of their attack seven days from now; the magic number is always seven. **

**And reversesideopens, I only planned on introducing Kamon since he has relations with Team Rocket through his father, Giovanni, at least in this story. I'm not sure if I'd add anymore from those handheld games, but it's pretty unlikely since I've kind of planned it all out now.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. All feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	19. Leisure

**I think, by far, that this was my favorite chapter to write. I am not even sure if I should consider actually this to be some sort of filler considering the content it holds, but I've really wanted to try this for some time now. This is the first time I actually tried something like this, so I can't guarantee it will be perfect. I hope you will see this chapter the way I do and not think too badly of it. Don't worry; it's all appropriate for a T rating for mild blood and sexual suggestions, that's all I have left to say for now.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

_Two people were seen exiting the Relic Cave and climbing up the slope towards the Pokémon Center. Anabel and Rui, after their girl talk from the riverside, noticed that they were missing one notable figure as they approached the two young women waiting in front of the Pokémon Center. As though they knew what they were thinking, Paul and Eagun halted in their tracks a few meters away from Anabel and Rui. A cool wind blew across the green, olden fields of Agate Village as their reuniting moment was somber and silent. Before the Salon Maiden could ask, Paul was quicker to the draw and stopped her with a brusque raise of an arm and a cool expression on his hardened face._

"_No, he's still by the Relic Stone figuring out the mysteries of his pathetic life," Paul explained, his tone flat._

"_What is he even trying to do with the Relic Stone anyway?" Rui asked, shrugging her hands out in puzzlement. "It's not like you guys came with Shadow Pokémon on your possession. And if you did…" She glanced at Anabel, who merely nodded but kept a straight face nonetheless._

"_If Ash is onto something, then he's onto something," Eagun mumbled, stroking a collective strand of his long beard contemplatively. "Even I don't know what he hopes to accomplish from staring into that old Relic Stone, but if it helps the cause against Cipher, then I'm not one to complain. I still say it's better than useless, modern day, technologic doodads."_

"_If it's going to help us in any way, then we should go down there and help him," Anabel suggested openly, narrowing her lilac eyes upon Paul. She ran past him, but stopped by the small bridge, waiting for him to follow her._

"_He can take care of himself," Paul stated, refusing to budge from his spot or to even glance at her. "If he doesn't need his own mother to interfere, then he doesn't need you at all."_

_Whether he was going to help her out or not did not matter much to Anabel. She was fully aware of his responses and would have no choice but to respect his decisions, but that did not mean she had to like them. Before she could have gone back down into the Relic Cave and find Ash, she heard a rather ear-splitting scream from nearby. The sudden noise froze the Salon Maiden dead cold upon the bridge, forcing her to turn around towards the Pokémon Center and discover someone that should never be here. Paul and Eagun stood in front of Rui for her protection against the unwelcome, low-class Reverse-Cipher Peon in gray uniform and a sort of bag by his waist with its strap around his neck._

"_What the hell do you want?" Paul demanded in a deathly cold whisper, his tight fists engulfed in Darkrai's terrible power._

"_And why would you come here alone, knowing that you'd be outnumbered?" Rui queried, hiding partially behind her grandfather._

"_That's because I wasn't sent to fight," the Peon explained, attempting to keep his fear suppressed, especially in the presence of that bitter-looking young man with purple hair. "I… I have a message for the three visitors that thwarted the Hexagon Brothers __Ω over a week ago." Paul kept a look that basically surmised his cold disinterest in the matter, but curtly nodded just to hear what he was going to say. The Peon revealed an ordinary laptop from his bag and opened it up. He cautiously approached Paul, Eagun, and Rui with its screen booting up and revealing a familiar, scary face to Rui. She cringed behind her grandfather at the high-definition, familiar sight of the man with blazing red hair, a necklace that was composed of old Poké Balls, and scary markings on his face as presented on the laptop screen._

"_Greetings, little do-gooders," the man on screen spoke calmly. "My name is Dakim, a once former member of Cipher and now reinstated Admin for Reverse-Cipher."_

"_I thought that meathead was kept in prison!" Rui cried, trembling in anger from recalling his brutal tactics of using Protect and Earthquake in battle against Wes._

"_Quiet," Paul hissed to her, baring a snarled smirk at her with what seemed to be a sharpened canine tooth at the corner of his mouth. He was apparently interested with the Peon's business now that a more powerful official had come to bear greetings._

"_We've heard about your daring and foolish exploits in Phenac City when you completely trounced the Hexagon Brother Ω during their invasion," Dakim explained, forming a rather hard-faced scowl. "By the way, you no longer have to worry about those incompetents as they now serve a much bigger purpose within the bowels of XD00∞." The revealed fate of the Hexagon Brothers had given Rui and Eagun quite a shock on how heartless and cruel the organization was to failure. Even Anabel from the distance could not help but feel somewhat piteous for their inexcusable demise. "But that is not why I sent a messenger to Agate Village."_

"_Then why did you—?!" Rui began, but a frightening glare from Paul's piercing black eyes silenced her into a petrified stupor._

"_Reverse-Cipher has been overconfident over the fact that not even children could stop us with our newest ultimate weapon and the fruitful success of Project: XDrus," Dakim continued, folding his thick arms across his buff chest. "This time, my newest Tag Team partner, Gorigan, and I will personally see to your end, heroes. You've probably never dealt with Reverse-Cipher Admins before, but I can guarantee you that your previous battles with lowly Peons were nothing more than amateurish Trainer battles. Because we're in charge on establishing this mission, we will give you seven days to prepare for our arrival."_

"_That's… strangely honorable for them to do so," Paul commented, placing a hand under his chin. He remained skeptical and unconvinced that Dakim and his partner would abide by their word and invade in seven days from now, considering the pathetic schemes they attempted to pull on him, Ash, and Anabel the past few weeks since they arrive in Orre._

"_Oh, if you're wondering why we're giving you brats a break, it's because unlike the rest of the Reverse-Cipher organization, I plan on making myself known without following their lowbrow deceit," Dakim clarified, fiercely casting his right hand forward and pointed straight from the screen with his index finger. "I don't need flashy tricks. All I need and want is muscle and a reliable partner to weaken my enemies' defenses, and I have already acquired all that I need." The following pause was filled with a gruff chuckle rumbling out of his throat and amplified by the laptop's speakers. "I can't think any other way to say this, so Gorigan and I will see you do-gooder brats in seven days you received this message. Dakim out!" The screen had suddenly shut off into inactive darkness. The messenger Peon closed it up and immediately fled out of Agate Village. He did not want to stay and see how they were going to deal with the news._

"_Oh, dear," Eagun mumbled, sighing tiresomely. "Well Paul, it looks like you, Ash, and Anabel now have a reason to use my personal training area. You remember how to get in?"_

"_I'll discuss it with them once Ash gets here," Paul replied, narrowing his eyes upon the returning Salon Maiden from the bridge. "I thought you were going to get him out of the Relic Forest."_

"_He and I would agree that this matter is very important," Anabel stated, looking up to Eagun. "I heard the message clearly. How are we going to go about training within the next seven days?"_

"_My forest training area only has enough room for one Trainer and six Pokémon," Eagun explained, clearing his rasping throat before continuing. "So you'll have to divide the days up evenly amongst yourselves with one of you ending up with an extra day. Paul will show you and Ash how to get in from Relic Cave once he comes back."_

"_Can't we just go get Ash together and see your secluded training area now?" Anabel queried, intertwining her dainty fingers together._

"_You're going to need a lot of rest for a lot of energy tomorrow when one of you starts. Oh! And my only request is that you let Ash go first tomorrow just this once."_

"_Why him?" Paul demanded edgily, seething._

"_Hey! He showed you his hidden training spot!" Rui answered in her grandfather's stead, her tone fiercely defensive. "The least you can do is to honor my old man's request!" _

_Paul's fuming growls quieted; with a sharp exhale, he remained calm. With an aloof grunt, he turned away from them and walked south of their location, stopping near the edge to stare into the brazen desert plains of the Orre region. Eagun shrugged it off and made his way back to his domicile up north while Rui approached Anabel with one final question. Somehow, the Salon Maiden could guess what she wanted judging from her disdainful glares at Paul's back._

"_I'd rather not go into detail about him, not this time," Anabel merely replied, folding her arms behind her head nonchalantly. Rui deflated her breath, having held it in to propose the question about Paul's uncaring attitude. "I'm still waiting for Ash to return so I can show my complete devotion to his growing maturity."_

* * *

_Two days later…_

The wait for the Reverse-Cipher Admins, Dakim and Gorigan, to strike Agate Village had begun. The order of sharing Eagun's secret ground within the Relic Cave was decided yesterday morning. Because Eagun requested that Ash would go first to try out the benefits of his secret room, today was Paul's turn to train to his heart's content. The sequence of users was decided as the first day for Ash, then Paul for the second, and the third day for Anabel. The arranged outline would continue for the next three days until the last day. The seventh day would be set for the one who would need the extra training a lot more than the other two before the Admins would begin their attack. It did not really matter much to Paul who got the last before the Reverse-Cipher Admins strike, considering that he already has a powerful team by his side and in Reggie's care.

The morning red-yellow sun was slowly climbing into the sky, positioned a little after eight o'clock. Paul entered the Relic Cave, which had the feel of an inside forest as it always had. He bore in mind the exact location where Eagun showed him two days ago, and again when he showed Ash how to enter the hidden training area yesterday. From the various craters of spring water to the thin and narrow river flowing halfway the path to the Relic Forest, Paul made his way toward the small wooden bridge. Immediately setting a foot on solid land, he swerved left to make sure no one else had kept a following eye on him. Aside from allowing Ash to go first, he also swore to Eagun that he and the others would keep the private location absolutely undisclosed from other citizens of Agate Village. The rumors went around the village, but none so far were successful in finding the very location that strengthened the Myth Trainer and his Pokémon in his younger years. Even a Ghost-type Pokémon could search the entire cave from wall through wall and bring back nothing.

_An offer of blood, the smallest portion for life_, Eagun's hoarse voice reminded him in his mind.

Paul finally ended up in a constricted dead end. The cave walls have surrounded him. There was no other living being in sight. As Paul advanced forward into mere inches between him and the wall, he found an old, yet recently sharpened and polished knife by his foot, exactly where it was before. He picked it up and examined it. The bladed tool had lost some of its silver luster to time, but there was no rust on the jagged edge. As a smirk started to form upon his cold lips, Paul pulled down his left sleeve and held his wrist high. Within the mild cave darkness, he pressed the serrated edge of the knife onto his skin and swiftly scraped it across his wrist. A furious growl of pain escaped his throat as he braced his body for the numbing wave of pain to pass over. The blade of the knife was slightly coated with his dark crimson blood, the same kind of blood that leaked out of his gaping wound. Paul was not going to let the pain of his new gash shake him up. With several heavy breaths and a hardened mentality, he calmed his inner blood lust and quickly inserted the bloodied knife into the straight vertical fissure on the wall. He knew he did not have to offer up a ton of blood to the fissure; in fact, a drop from a pricked finger would suffice. Regardless, he slid it down and smeared his blood as an offering to enter; Paul was willing to fight for his life against the insidious evil that was currently in hiding somewhere in the Orre region.

The section of the Relic Cave Paul was in started to tremor. The fissure he offered his dark blood into radiated the familiar green aura of the Relic Stone. The wall opened up into an arced doorway. Still breathing sharply from the fresh cut on his wrist, Paul quickened his pace into the doorway while it closed behind him now the sentience of the Relic Forest sensed that a living being had entered the secret forest corridor. Calmly walking upon the hollow earth corridor, Paul could see the bright light beaming down from the sky through the gaps between healthy tree branches. The sacred forest grove used by Eagun in old days past closely resembled the secluded shrine of the Relic Stone, except the center ground was a lot wider. The whole circular space was bare aside from the soft beam of light cast from above and the natural forest décor of trees, shrubs, and a large river. What were the benefits from training here? According to Eagun, it gave off a powerful aura, the same kind of soothing aura from the Relic Stone. Its effect on Pokémon somehow encouraged them to fight harder as their memories of the past flash before their minds' eyes.

"Not bad at all," Paul muttered to himself, keenly examining the supposedly great training area that personally belonged to Eagun. He felt the cool air of the surreptitious coppice pass through his purple hair. He reached into both of his pants' pockets and took out three miniature Poké Balls in each hand, enlarging them all simultaneously. "Now, stand by!" He threw all six Poké Balls up in the air, calling forth his team to begin their training regimen. One by one, the enshrouding white energy dissipated and revealed his powerful Pokémon: Torterra, Magmortar, Electivire, Weavile, Ursaring, and Fearow.

"Tor?" Torterra grunted, turning its head side to side and wondering what they were all doing here in this strange new location. The other brutish and vicious Pokémon mumbled inconsistencies, shrugging in complete bafflement. "Tor… terra."

"You all know what happens when all six of you are out of your Poké Balls," Paul explained, his tone strict and authoritative. He crossed his arms and paced about in front of his single-filed Pokémon. "It's time you got off your slacking behinds and get back into shape. We got away easy because Reverse-Cipher sent those pompous, colorful, _pathetic_ weaklings back at Phenac City to deal with us." He unzipped his black and blue jacket, tossing it at a high tree branch. His sinewy upper torso was merely clothed in a turquoise, form-fitting muscle shirt. "I can assure you that they're not going to play around this time, so until we can finally back them into a corner, we're going to train hard and we're going to become stronger. Understand?"

"'Elec-tivire?'" Electivire repeated in a mock, exaggerating its Trainer's rage and authority by imitating his earlier action with flamboyant motions of its arms. Magmortar and Weavile attempted to suppress their pain of laughter, covering their inflated mouths so that Paul would not be any wiser to their humorous ridicules.

"Electivire! Thank you for volunteering yourself to be our first victim!" Paul suddenly declared. The other Pokémon, completely aware of his piercing glare, took a long stride back and left the chosen Thunderbolt Pokémon out in the open. Electivire glanced at the dark Veilstone Trainer, whose fierce black eyes penetrated its soul.

"Vire?"

"Hit me with your strongest Thunder, now!" Paul demanded; his arms were still crossed and his stance was stable.

He was not kidding around. Electivire hesitated at first, thinking about the possible consequences of frying its Trainer with its powerful electrical current. Then again, disobeying Paul was also now considered a death wish as long as he continued to harbor the powers of Darkrai within his body. After such careful contemplation, Electivire decided to obey the order and released a strong electric current from its large body. The massive voltage sizzled through the air, flying accurately towards Paul. Electivire started to cringe, unable to comprehend the end result as the Thunder burned through the air and mere inches towards its Trainer. The other Pokémon by the side watched with their fierce eyes widened and their jaws falling apart.

"Vire!" Electivire groaned, horror-struck. When it seemed like Paul was about to receive the electrocution of his life, a dark-shaded, spherical barrier suddenly erupted out of thin air and surrounded him. "Electivire!" The Thunderbolt Pokémon gasped as its Thunder was unexpectedly sent back to it. Its own electric power struck it down hard, actually hurting it instead of activating its Motor Drive.

"Hmph, did you like _that_ illusion?" Paul asked, smirking and approached the downed Electivire in a gradual pace. The other Pokémon backed up as he coldly passed them. "That barrier you saw absorbed your electric power and replaced it with none other than Darkrai's energy. The illusion was that instead of discharging as the usual black and red, it gave you all the impression that Electivire's Thunder was redirected back at it. You thought that you would have no problem dealing with Electric attacks with your 'special ability.' Never… _assume_!"

"E-Electivire," Elective groaned, trembling from the rough display it was subjected to. It slowly sat back up, only to discover Paul dourly glaring over it in aversion.

"You're not the only one that needs work," Paul muttered, unfolding his arms from his chest. He clapped his hands together, discharging sparks of black and crimson energy from his body. The crackles surged towards Electivire and the rest of the Pokémon, instantly shackling around their wrists and ankles as some sort of chains. All Pokémon collapsed to the ground, having lost control over their own limbs once the dark energy shackles had taken their effect and entered their bodies "These darkness bonds, no matter how… ugh… kinky they seem, will force you to be on full power at all times. Otherwise, you'll be helpless as training turns the others into real men, into real _Pokémon_."

"Terra, Tor-terra," Torterra grumbled, still trapped with its underside against the ground and its trunk-like limbs numb from the new darkness bonds.

"Hmph, don't think just because you've been with me for seven years straight doesn't mean you're exempted," Paul sneered to his Starter, disapproving of Torterra's complaints. He noticed that his other Pokémon were finally forcing their power to provide mobility through his darkness bonds. They all stood back up on their feet. Fearow was able to fly back in the air, but was desperately trying to fully open its wings. "Looks like it's time to start."

Paul reorganized his Pokémon back into a straight, horizontal line in front of him. The training was officially about to begin now that he had begun the use of Darkrai's special chains on them. A calming wind blew through the secret grove as the excitement to begin was growing. The tightening ambiance almost felt like an imperial army drum-march; they could even imagine the rapid sounds of snare drums resonating in the far-off distance. However, there was nothing else within miles of where they were, but that did not matter. The zealous smirk on his face grew, ready to get it on. All of his Pokémon had gulped nervously; they were completely unaware of his latest training tactics that would significantly bring out their inner power and strength, to make a real Pokémon out of them.

"_**Let's get down to training—**_" Paul declared in a rather suave, bass tone, stretching his back and arms out from with his Pokémon following suit in the brief stretching exercise. "_**To plant firm… your roots…**_" He had cracked his knuckles quite grotesquely, disgusting and frightening his Pokémon as a warning of what would entail from the strangest training regiment ever. "_**Why'd I capture weaklings—**_" He clapped his hands twice. That was the signal to commence at last. His Pokémon shuffled about disorderly, still not used to the darkness bonds forcing them to tap into their inner ability. The onset did not bode well as they stumbled about and roughly crashed into each other into one chaotic pile. "_**…when I searched… for brutes?**_" Paul sighed, walking over to his sloppy Pokémon. "_**You're the saddest bunch I've ever met! But you can bet—**_" As he got closer, Weavile was thrown right into his face, forcing him onto his behind on the ground. "_**… before we're through…**_" He furiously grabbed his Weavile by its bright red collar and hoisted the Sharp Claw Pokémon uncomfortably high in the air as an example. He glared upon each and every one of the Pokémon that quickly cleaned up their act and attempted to act innocent, including the clueless Weavile in his grip. "_**Mister, I'll… make a 'mon… out of you…**_"

Paul threw Weavile mercilessly back onto the ground, watching it crawl back on its feet and back to the others. He took a deep calming breath and resumed to lead them in the next step of the regiment. "_**Tranquil as Torterra—**_" He glanced at his Torterra, whose patient attitude and solemn expression was an ideal model for the others to follow. With a nod from the Continent Pokémon to continue, he quickly formed a Dark Void between his hands for a demonstration. "_**… but a Blaze… within…**_" Paul opened his arms wide, expanding the Dark Void into an arc in front of his chest. "_**With the mind of Medicham—**_" He began to fire several miniature Dark Voids at his Pokémon, observing their reactions of evasion and retaliation with their own attacks. "_**… you are sure… to win…**_" However, with the still early adjustment of their limiting darkness bonds, their various physical and special attacks backfired. The smoke made a decent cover and protection against the weaker Dark Voids. Despite this, Paul was frustrated that they were not catching up to his standards as quickly as he planned. His Pokémon, within less than an hour, had already become a crumpled mess on Eagun's special grounds. "_**You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot!**_" He enunciated his favorite insulting word in an austere growl. "_**Even Ash has got a clue…**_" His last line was what made many mouths fall agape and their dreary eyes wide awake to the cold real world. Paul was not about to give up on them, though. With his hands in his pockets, he walked under the shade of a tree, expecting them to act independently now and train themselves with his piercing black eyes watching their every move. "_**Somehow I'll… make a 'mon… out of you!**_"

Several minutes had passed and Paul's Pokémon recovered from their second consecutive accident from the hindering limitations of Darkrai's chains. Not wanting to fall further into his bad side, Magmortar started off their independent training session by heating up the action with its fireballs. The Blast Pokémon could feel the searing pain from its dark chains as it garnered its fiery power. _**I'm never gonna catch my breath…**_ Magmortar thought, feeling as though its arm cannons were clogged. After what felt like to be another hour passing by, it was able to spew fireballs, but at a frenzied, panicking state as Paul's judgmental gaze leered up its failure to control the darkness bonds. The Pokémon also felt Magmortar's sudden panic, running for their lives as its arm cannons had gone haywire from the troublesome training.

_**Say good-bye to those who knew me! **_Electivire cried in its head, tripping over its big feet. A stray fireball was launched right into its backside, promising a nasty burn in return once it wore off. "Electi-VIRE!"

_**Boy was I a crazy fool for cutting him…**_ Weavile thought from a glance towards Paul as it sprinted for its life. The Sharp Claw Pokémon and Magmortar's fireballs would not, nor would it ever, mix together. While it was looking at its dark Trainer, Weavile involuntarily ran into a tree and nearly lost consciousness upon impact.

Ursaring was the only brave Pokémon that stood its ground against Magmortar's rogue fireballs. With its own brute strength against the intense confines of the darkness bonds, it slammed and destroyed fireball after fireball with powerful swings of the noticeably increasing strength of its Hammer Arm. The Hibernator Pokémon noticed that Fearow was hit from a fireball and sent hurling towards it. Much to Fearow's surprised relief, Ursaring saved it. They both looked into each other's intimidating eyes, sharing almost the exact same view on Paul's newest and most insane training regiment ever. _**This guy's got us scared to death!**_

_**Hope he doesn't sneer right through me…**_ Fearow thought as both it and Ursaring took a fearful glance at Paul, whose acerbic expression was read as his whole dissatisfaction.

_**Now I really wish that I knew how to swim!**_ Torterra cried in its mind. It was cornered at the large river from Magmortar's ongoing fireball fiasco with nowhere else to escape to. The Continent Pokémon turned its head to face behind it with a disgruntled expression; comical tears streamed down its face as its large tree had caught on fire from a wandering fireball. It was not the only one suffering within quite a short time of new training. Its fellow comrade knew that Paul merely wanted the best for them, no matter how demented and brutal his tactics would become.

Torterra, Ursaring, Fearow, Electivire, Weavile, and Magmortar all shared the same thought as their Trainer had finally came out of the shadows to make things right himself, no longer amused by their shenanigans. They quickly prepared themselves now that Paul himself was about to participate in their independent training session, having put on Darkrai's rough persona and starting off with another Dark Void wave.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**You must be swift as the coursing Raikou…**_" Paul leapt into the air and kicked himself of the trunk of a tree, releasing more Dark Voids as additional obstacles to Magmortar's wild fireballs. The Blast Pokémon was still having a hard time adapting to the unpredictable properties of Darkrai's chains screwing with its powers as it is.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the force of a great Suicune…**_" The others have gotten the hang of the darkness bonds as Ursaring had and began to release their inner potentials as recommended. Electivire retaliated with a perceptibly more powerful ThunderPunch against both a Dark Void and a fireball, smacking the latter back with an extra electric charge into the former. However, the excess power easily tore right through the Dark Void and the electrified fireball flew between a tree and a shrub, thereby initiating a forest fire.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the strength of a raging Entei—**_" While he did take note of the slight increase of power, Paul was truly disgusted from the lack of control, evident from the menacing fire that started to feed off of the shrub and sought to consume the trees around it. With a hard smack to the forehead over his most discontented face, he violently commanded the Pokémon to put out the fire before they were in huge trouble with Eagun. "_**… Mysterious as the Darkrai of the moon!**_" Weavile first tried its hand with an Ice Shard to cool the fire down, but the Ice attack completely disintegrated from the drastically increased temperature before it could even reach the flames. Paul sighed pensively, starting his meditation on the far side of the grove as his Pokémon tried to put out the growing blaze. As the fire started to spread, the Pokémon began to panic again and witlessly allowed the darkness bonds to control them now. They stumbled about, hurriedly putting out the fire with their combined weight with Torterra and Magmortar at the bottom of the pile once again. Paul tried to take in a calming, deep breath, but the instances of his supposedly powerful Pokémon faltering about like pathetic amateurs continued to rage ferociously within his dark mind and flash before his own eyes.

"_**Time is racing toward us—**_" Paul observed that it took the combined body weight of all of his Pokémon to put out the fire. "_**… till those goons… arrive…**_" After examining the pathetic combined attempts to stop the forest fire by all his Pokémon, Paul began to reconsider his high opinion over them. They were his strongest so far, but if they could not adapt to a situation like Darkrai's chains, then it did not seem worth putting them. "_**If you heed my orders—**_" He approached the pile with an unreadable look of cold indifference. The Pokémon became worried; the entire compilation started to tremble under his glare. "_**… you just might… survive…**_" Paul sighed, knowing that if he was ever going to get anywhere with his shoddy Pokémon, he would have to force an ultimatum down their throats. "_**You're unsuited for the rage of war.**_" He enlarged all six Poké Balls in his hands and callously tossed them onto the ground in front of them. The Pokémon feared for the worse of his bitter remarks to swallow. "_**So return! Get out! You're through!**_" With the Poké Balls left on the floor, the Pokémon finally had a chance to quit while their battered bodies were wracked in pain. But as they equally thought about it, they plaintively watched Paul leave towards the exit to Eagun's secret grove, giving each of them such a brutal cold shoulder. It looked as though he was finally fed up with their incompetence with handling the darkness bonds. "_**How could I… make a 'mon… out of you?!**_"

His coldness and impatience left a hollow feeling within their bodies. They fooled around and were unable to maximize all their strengths with Darkrai's chains. They had to make it up to him. The six of them kicked aside their Poké Balls and came to an ultimate compromise. With a resolute nod from Torterra and the five following suit, they had begun to finally clean up their act and learn control over their unpredictable abilities and overpower the restricting darkness chains. It was time for their turning point.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**You must be swift as the coursing Raikou…**_" Paul's harsh, but guiding vocals echoed in their minds. Even with the absence of his physical presence, the Pokémon could still feel his unwavering spirit coursing within them, aside from the form of those darkness bonds. They were able to adjust to its expectations, and began to vigorously train themselves.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the force of a great Suicune…**_" All attacks were first directed upon Torterra, whose massive defenses and patient battling style were greatly improved as the combined attacks of Electivire's Brick Break, Ursaring's Hammer Arm, Weavile's Metal Claw, and Fearow's Drill Peck had barely scratched it. Torterra even proved capable of swift counterattacks in their practices. Magmortar stepped in after the former four left to fight each other and released a blazing Flamethrower next. Despite leaving the Continent Pokémon with some scorch marks on its hide, Torterra was impressed with the improvement of their attacks after analyzing the pain each one hit after hit. The Pokémon's attacks had become easier to control and their power output was astounding, according to an impressed and wise Torterra.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the strength of a raging Entei—**_" Within the next hour or so, the Pokémon were fully capable of exercising about in their usual business even with Darkrai's chains still shackled to their ankles, wrists and wings for Fearow's case. No longer feeling the draining numbness of the darkness bonds, the Pokémon could not wait to see their true power once they were finally free. As they continued their next round, they felt the entrance to Eagun's secret grounds opening up, revealing their mystified Trainer carrying a glass full of orange juice over ice. "_**… Mysterious as the Darkrai of the moon!**_" Paul could not believe the sight of his Pokémon actually coping well with the darkness bonds still on them, discovering their Poké Balls have been kicked to the side and their current session was simply dazzling. He soon discovered a Thunder attack flying right towards him, which prompted the protection of Darkrai's barrier. However, instead of the illusive redirection of the Electric attack, the Thunder broke through the black-shaded bubble and zapped the glass of orange juice over ice out of his hand; the glass shattered and the contents spilled into the ground. Paul was still in quite a shock with his mouth temporarily gaping at his Electivire's increased power, but soon closed it up and smirked, now entirely interested in his Pokémon team's massive improvement.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**You must be swift as the coursing Raikou…**_" Paul began to see the fruits of their progress for himself as he returned to participate in the session. He quickly noted that Magmortar had shot fireballs in an even pace like a true soldier, giving the other Pokémon a true test of evasion and retaliation. Weavile was swift, Ursaring destroyed each fireball with vicious swings of its arms, Torterra endured them without a scratch, Fearow became the master of the air, and Electivire annihilated the oncoming fireballs with another Thunder.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the force of a great Suicune…**_" He raised the stakes by adding Dark Voids in conjunction to the Blast Pokémon's fireballs, just like last time. Instead of tripping over their various body parts, his Pokémon successfully countered the combined attacks and even sent Paul several projectiles of their own to make him run for his safety. They were no longer afraid to attack him if required, which only made Paul form a satisfactory smirk upon his tightened face. His Pokémon had nearly reached their potentials and his expectations with the threat of his ultimatum. He could not have caught a better team.

_**Be a 'mon…**_

"_**With all the strength of a raging Entei—**_" Before they continued further, Paul halted the action with the raise of his arms. He gave off a small smile and nodded in acknowledgement for their resilient spirits. He pressed his hands together and all at once, Darkrai's chains have come loose. His Pokémon were free from their agonizing limitations; their inner strength boiled from within their fingertips. "_**… Mysterious as the Darkrai of the MOON…!**_" For a momentary celebration of freedom, Paul and his Pokémon aimed their attacks into the sky. All at once, Torterra used Stone Edge, Ursaring released a Focus Blast, Electivire went with Thunder, Magmortar activated both arm cannons for Flamethrower, Weavile tossed up an Ice Shard, and Fearow imitated Ursaring's Focus Blast with its Mirror Move, having developed a sort of fierce kinship with it during their most rigorous training ever. Lastly, Paul fired a Dark Void into the assortment of powerful projectile attacks. The result was a grand explosion of fireworks in the center of the celestial sun, exploding a victory hard fought for.

* * *

The afternoon sun gave off a gentle vivacity; it had begun its descent into a heart-warming evening dusk. The casted light of yellow and subtle hints of red was soothing to the touch. All the more, it acted as a sort of guardian watching over Ash as he entered the Pokémon Center to find Anabel. He recalled that this morning around eight o'clock that she and him went their separate ways after breakfast. He planned to visit Eagun and learn a bit more about the legends of other Legendary Pokémon and their roles in establishing the Orre region, as well as his disdain for complicated technological advances. Anabel simply wanted to explore the Daycare. Paul was long gone, having taken the initiative to use as much hours for training his Pokémon as possible. They all took the two-day old threat from Dakim pretty seriously, but Ash could tell after Anabel forgave him for agreeing with Paul about his crude inside joke that merely training all day and being strong were not going be enough to deal with Admins. They needed to be calm and wise instead of using constant aggression and brute force. They needed their love for support, for foundation, and for life.

"She must be in the room by now," Ash mused to himself, approaching the counter and being greeted by the sunny reception of Nurse Joy. Without another word, he took out five occupied Poké Balls and placed them before the Pokémon nurse. "Nurse Joy, can you look after these guys for me?"

"What about Pikachu, Ash?" Nurse Joy asked, tilting her head slightly on the side and giggled. "How about a quick check-up?"

"Well, okay then," Ash mumbled, glancing at his buddy on his shoulder. Pikachu nodded in affirmation. "Can you check up first and give him back to me?"

"Not a problem! Come on, Pikachu!" Nurse Joy beamed, allowing Pikachu to hop into her arms. She took Pikachu into the back room while Chansey placed Ash's Poké Balls into a spare tray. The Egg Pokémon steadily brought the filled tray into the back room, leaving Ash alone at the counter to wait for Pikachu's brief examination. A few minutes passed and Ash stared at the doorway to the back room in a dull manner, tapping his fingertips rhythmically on the polished counter. Even though only five minutes have passed, he felt rather sleepy and drained waiting for Pikachu. He erected his back posture and stood up straight as soon as the tapping sound of approaching footsteps echoed in his ears. Ash thought that Nurse Joy and Chansey were finally returning with his best buddy, not knowing that another had taken her spot next to him.

"Took you long enough to get here," a familiar sweet voice sang. Ash discovered Anabel lying her folded arms and head upon the counter next to him, gazing upon him with a dreamy look in her lilac eyes.

"Wow, how long was I out?" Ash asked in an incredulous whisper. He rubbed an eye with a fist and groaned, stretching out the creaking tendons in his neck. The Salon Maiden merely smiled at him and blinked attractively.

"About five minutes, give or take a few seconds," Anabel replied, looking at the back doorway. "Waiting for your Pokémon's check-up, I see?"

"I'm just here for Pikachu. I'm leaving my other Pokémon in Nurse Joy's care for the rest of the day. How about you?"

"Same. The only thing is that Espeon is playing with Rui by her favorite riverside since she reminds her of Wes' Espeon," Anabel added, propping her arms up and fingers intertwined for her head to rest upon. "Say, maybe Pikachu could join them?"

"Why?" Ash asked earnestly. Anabel did not answer back, but instead continued to gaze into his somewhat naïve eyes. The shimmering lavender in her pupils was a familiar look, no doubt, simply begging for his attention in the cutest way possible. It did not take long for his mind to register what her subtle suggestion was trying to goad him into. "Ohh… I see." The memory came back to him in a gradual flash, much to Anabel's contentment. "So, absolutely no Pokémon then?"

"Just us two strong, faithful lovers," Anabel confirmed, winking. "Have any place in mind for our personal time together then?"

"Actually, I think know just the perfect place," Ash brightened up, snapping his fingers with the location on mind. That was quite unexpected for him to be suddenly ahead of things, especially of a romantic spot just for the two of them. Anabel was open-minded; she was actually willing to see where he would lead her. "Yeah… I actually discovered it by accident yesterday before I started training." Before continuing on, he wanted the Salon Maiden to lean closer to him for a furtive whisper. "Apparently, Eagun's training ground wasn't the only hidden chamber within the Relic Cave. I closed up the second door before leaving to train because… well, I don't remember why I did, but I did."

"Oh… that _kind of_ makes sense," Anabel whispered rather hesitantly, unsure of his vague motives. "Did you keep it in hiding because you wanted it to be our spot?"

"It seemed okay at the time. I even asked Eagun if there were any other hidden chambers in the Relic Cave, but honestly he told me that the training ground was the only one around. So… I guess it was luck that I stumbled into it?"

"You're very lucky, Ash," Anabel giggled, placing her thin arm on his wiry back and rubbed a small section of his shoulder affectionately. Ash growled softly to her sensitive magic of her soft fingertips. The Salon Maiden could feel a month's worth of built tension in his rather tense muscles. There have been many circumstances for his restlessness, as far as Anabel could see. There was the ultimate adventure to save Orre and the world before Reverse-Cipher chose to strike. Another factor was the provocative taunts and insults from his top rival, Paul. She disliked him for always putting under stress in attempts to make him strong. In fact, his callous style of motivation reminded her of the tragic story of Ash's Infernape, once a Chimchar in Paul's possession. _You won't have to suffer like this as long as you have me._ She thought of a better way to ease him; tapping into Cresselia's powers inside of her should do the trick.

"Ash, your Pikachu has passed his health physical!" Nurse Joy chimed in at last, walking through the back doorway with the eager Mouse Pokémon in her hands. Ash broke out of Anabel's healing reach, much to her chagrin, and received Pikachu. "You're free to go now. Oh! And Anabel, are you planning on bringing Espeon by later?"

"Hmm…? Oh, yes," Anabel replied, breaking out of her momentary sulk and smiled involuntarily. "I think Rui might drop her by sometime later, though."

"It's no problem. Take care, you two!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Ash and Anabel exclaimed, waving off good-bye to the charitable Pokémon nurse and left for the exit. They were soon greeted by the warmth of the Agate sun, whose slow descent meant that the gentle dusk of evening was not too far from now. Pikachu's ears suddenly twitched; he heard a familiar something from the distance within the village.

"Pika?" Pikachu mumbled, turning his head around.

"What's up, Pikachu?" Ash queried.

"Pikachu, Espeon is calling for you to join her and Rui by the riverside west from here," Anabel clarified, petting the cheery Mouse Pokémon. "It would be nice if you joined them for fun before dinner." Pikachu looked at her before shifting his glance towards Ash. He looked rather hesitant.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked meekly.

"Of course you can join them if that's what you're asking me," Ash replied, subtly turning his head towards Anabel. The amused Salon Maiden nodded at his precise deduction. "It's because Anabel and I have some… uh, 'things' to catch up on." Pikachu cocked his head to the side, perplexed on what Ash was talking about. "Just go have fun."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, hopping of his shoulder and ran off to find Rui and Espeon.

Without another word, the couple nodded to each other and left for the Relic Cave down below. Pass the slope and through the entrance, Ash and Anabel were back within the forest cave hand in hand. With Ash leading the way through the empty cave, excluding Paul's current training regiment in the hidden grounds, Anabel could only anticipate with mounting exhilaration of the adventurous discoveries Ash had made in the past day. She trusted his judgment well enough; she even trusted him with her life if need be. Ash did not pull her in a rush. His pace was casual and even, allowing her to build up excitement per every passing second during her escort. They were passing the large crater-like lake and loomed closer to the short wooden bridge ahead. The Salon Maiden was still curious of the second new location Ash stumbled upon. Before he went any closer to the bridge, Ash stopped in his tracks all of a sudden.

"Something wrong, Ash?" Anabel asked, confused.

"We're here," Ash replied without facing her. He turned to his right, finding the same curved space in the wall before the protruding tree trunk he once confused for the entrance to Eagun's secret training ground yesterday morning. _Just the way I left it…_ At least he knew that when he discovered the old knife missing on the ground. He remembered that he searched and searched for it somewhere on the ground in the morning dimness. When he finally climbed up the wall in the tight space, it was when the strangest thing happened upon the touch of hand. "Here we go."

"Okay, Ash," Anabel mumbled, tightly squeezing Ash's right hand in her hand out of her building apprehension. Ash felt her strong anxiety with his own; he took in a slow deep breath himself before placing his free hand at the same place he first touched it. The section of the wall felt a lot different than the usual cold, stony structure. The moment he touched it, the radiating forest green aura of the Relic Forest emanated from the wall and formed into a glowing arc doorway. _Amazing…_ Ash felt his hand squeezed by Anabel again. He tugged her lightly to assure her that there was nothing to worry about beyond the mystical doorway.

"I don't know how or why, but this happened," Ash explained briefly. "There's nothing else left for me to do, but to show you where we'll be spending the rest of our time before dinner."

The tension created from their nervous apprehension started to slowly dissolve into warmth and comfort as they began their entrance into the strange green portal. Beyond the portal, the shimmering lilac eyes of the Salon Maiden widened in gleeful awe. The beautiful setting of the second hidden chamber within the Relic Cave resembled that of a large grassy plain with innumerable dandelions and their fluffy seeds fluttering in the breeze of the warm dusk wind. The sky was a pastel mixture of sunset orange and red with several puffy white clouds watching over the gorgeous scene. Within meters of where they stood was a hill surrounded by more dandelions and with an old oak tree on top, whose leafy branches in the wind looked like they were greeting the two young visitors. Ash, grinning widely in both inside and outside, heard ecstatic gasps escaping his lover's trembling pale lips. He was about to ask for her opinion, but she was quicker to the answer.

"I love it, Ash…," Anabel managed to say, her eyes shining brilliantly in the sunset. "We came at the perfect time."

"Then let's go before your anticipation makes you faint," Ash advised playfully, tugging her by her hand. Anabel ran alongside him towards the beckoning oak tree; hand in hand, they were never going to let go. The hill and its tree were fortunately a short distance from their portal back to the Relic Cave. Upon reaching the top of the hill and under tree's shade, Ash was the first to sit down and lean upon the trunk. With a pat on the grass on his right beside him, he encouraged the anxious Salon Maiden to join him to watch the dazzling sunset together in such a romantic spot. With a spring in her step, Anabel took her side with her beloved, placing her legs over his lap and snuggled as close to him as possible with her left arm around his neck for support. Ash kept her close with his right arm around her shoulders and his elbow against the corner of the tree.

"Nice and comfy?" Anabel asked, beaming. Ash merely grinned and chuckled lightheartedly. The question would have been better suited for her to answer since Ash was okay by his seat on his tree. But her warming presence and tender body made it all the better for him to enjoy the sunset and flying dandelion seeds.

"I don't how this was all possible, but I'm glad to have discovered this place for our private time," Ash replied. He felt Anabel's fresh and soft lilac hair brush against his cheek and the pressure of her head resting on his right shoulder. Her intoxicating scent filled his nostrils as he carefully rested his head on top of hers. Anabel simply loved the contented pressure between his head and shoulder on her head. Her keen eyesight discovered a fluffy dandelion seed flying in front of her and Ash. It fell into her caring hands. She opened her palms up like a book for Ash and her to read, examining contemplatively of the wandering nature of a delicate object like a dandelion seed. With a considerate nod from Ash after a moment of looking at the seed, Anabel released the fluffy seed to join the others fluttering in the wind in the direction of the sun, facing its unknown destiny somewhere in the sky. The seed reminded the both of them of their powerful relationship; they do not know what the future would have in store for them, but as long as they kept on going, their present lives would shine brightly from all the rest. Such a sentimental idea did not have to be discussed. Ash and Anabel were able to read it from each other's compassionate eyes and open hearts as their bodies embraced each other closely and lovingly.

_Consider this a free gift that you would play with me again soon!_ a familiar, adorable voice exclaimed within Ash's mind. _I read your happiest memories when you lent me your aura! I hope you need me again so that we can play!_ His auburn eyes jolted wide from the revelation, but prevented his entire body from reacting to it as to not disturb Anabel's peace.

_Celebi, you don't know how much this means to us!_ Ash exclaimed mentally. _Thank you! I promise that I will call for you some day, but know that I'll never put you at risk._ The last thing he heard before feeling the cold, minty breath of Anabel wafting against his cheek was Celebi's delighted laughter fading gradually. At least he was finally alone with Anabel, who only had one simple need. She wanted his attention all for herself. "Ready when you are…"

"You're _always_ ready," Anabel whispered, her tone rather seductive. "Maybe… I _won't_ have to gentle like always…" She placed her left hand in the back of Ash's head as Ash did with her. They gazed into the other's eyes, sensing the burning red passion that yearned to expand and break through the boundaries of their current love. Their heads leaned forward and their lips touched. The moment was impeccable and their passions rose. Indulging further into their deepening, endless love, their lengthy passionate kiss became a battle between their tongues attempting to enter the other's mouth. Their moans crooned in the grass plain as dandelion seeds continued to fly towards the sunset in the romantic scene.

Anabel wrapped her arms tightly around Ash's neck while their tongues still collided and their mouths still latched against each other, but not as tight as to strangle him. His skin felt tough from countless battles, yet they were warm to the touch of her fingertips. Her cool skin on his neck slightly tickled Ash, but he did not laugh. Instead, he placed his right hand on the nape of her neck and his left on her side. He slowly pulled her up on his lap while giving her the same treatment she did to his neck. His firm grip and magical massage sent a shiver down Anabel's spine, further teasing her boiling inner lust. For so long she wanted to become as intimately close as possible to Ash before the possibility of marriage could appear in either young Trainer's minds. Of course, she would most likely be the first to think of it considering that her lover still had some interest on Pokémon.

Ash proved to be quite a natural master in many things he did, from battling powerful rivals to pleasuring his young maiden. The increasing tempo of Anabel's moans from her throat strangely became soothing music to his ears. She sounded satisfied. Whether he knew what his hands were doing on the back of her neck and the side of her body or not, Ash knew he had to keep up the progress of their intimacy. As his tongue fought for dominance for her mouth, the strong aura of his fingertips caressed her sensitive spots. The Salon Maiden nearly lost control over herself from what she believed were her lover's expertise with pleasurable sensations, which almost seemed like an impossibility given her reserved personality.

His soft tongue lined against the roof of her mouth. His warm, slightly rough skin simply melted her to the touch. The repressed libido from throughout her entire life was prone to bursting. She had found the one who she would spend the rest of her life with; her steadfast feelings for Ash had transcended into celestial levels. Only for this moment, however, her primal cravings for physical desire conflicted with her better self-judgment. They were at a vicious war; her brain versus her heart. Her breathing became rather erratic, having been affected by their perfect intimate moment and the expert rubs of Ash. This was as far as they both wanted their passionate drives to go. They were still young, in the middle of a great mission. But the trials and hardships of the world had melted away as long as they were in this state.

Ash and Anabel momentarily broke out of their long kiss, gasping for breath as they gazed into each other's vibrant eyes, burning for more passion. Without warning of any kind, they seized each other's head simultaneously and pressed their mouths against each other again. The relishing moans purred from their throats. Ash leaned up against the tree with the heated Salon Maiden fully on his lap. He kept her close with his left arm around her waist and right arm around her back.

As he inched his hand back up to her soft, porcelain white neck, he felt something brush against his stomach. With an open, but diluted eye, he attempted to look down and saw Anabel's hand attempting to open his black top, leaving his plain white shirt as his body's last defense for her bursting, yet restrained desires. The Salon Maiden still had a little bit of rationality, knowing that one wrong move would end everything her love worked to attain. She prevented her rebellious hand from going below Ash's waist, giving it the alternative of his sculpted, developed abs. Her wandering hand tore through his shirt, feeling the rough muscles of his chest and stomach against her cool, petite fingers.

"Anabel… what…?" Ash murmured, lifting his mouth away, but Anabel forced him back into the passionate kiss.

"Take… your… shirt… off," Anabel whispered slyly, her burning lust apparent as a sinister glint in her once innocent eyes. Ash silently gulped after regaining his self-control from listening to her dark demand, thinking that he might have pushed her beyond her limit with his witless ability of controlling her like a panting Growlithe. She pressed her gaping mouth and seized control this time, using both of her hands to pull his shirt off. Ash become concerned that Anabel was giving in to her urges as his shirt was pulled up to his underarms.

"What the _hell_?!" a rough voice shouted. Anabel had woken from her wild fantasy, discovering along with Ash that the outburst came from none other than Paul standing in front of the portal to the Relic Cave. His black eyes were greatly widened and his jaw was liable to fall off.

"Paul!" Ash and Anabel screamed. Realizing that her feral lust nearly tore Ash's shirt off, Anabel's face flushed a great beet red. She wanted to cry for letting it go so far, but Ash's arms protected her. Ash moved her in front of him and comforted her while glaring at Paul for his inexcusable intrusion. Despite their cold tension, the warm sunset wind ironically still blew across the dandelion-covered grass plain.

"What are you doing here anyway?!" Ash demanded. His surly rival had an equally angered expression on his hardened face.

"You left… the freaking… portal _open_!" Paul seethed. Ash was suddenly bewildered by the outrageous revelation. "Did you even remember on _thinking_ for it to close or where you so caught up with Anabel that you _forgot_ to lock the door on your way in?"

_Oops… Stupid me_, Ash thought, mentally smacking himself. He finally recalled upon stumbling upon this place the first time yesterday, wanting it to close up before anyone else saw it. Because he wanted it to close and focused on finding a way, the portal did close. He heard Anabel sob softly on his uncovered abdomen. Ash comforted her with a messaging stroke of his hand on her back.

"Hmph, in that case, I think I'm going to sleep in one of the Pokémon Center lobby's sofas tonight," Paul announced callously, abruptly turning his back to the couple and left through the forest green portal. In the meantime, Ash was left alone to console a Salon Maiden that bit off more than she could chew.

* * *

**Like I said previously, this was my first time creating a chapter like this. I don't know if the scenes reached your expectations, whatever they are. The references to Paul being "emo" (i.e.: cutting his wrist for a blood offering, Weavile's line in the song) were completely coincidental. As for why Ash and Anabel's mild physical intimacy ended somewhat sadly, I go by the belief that rushed physical relations would end in utter ruin. Also, I'm still not sure whether to call this some sort of filler or not. Anyway, consider this chapter an early present from me before going to college. I actually still have two weeks left before I leave the twenty-first, but this was my most favorite chapter to write so far. So just consider it as the best parting gift as I don't know when I would be free. And if I can, then I can.**

**It seems as watching YouTube AMVs have become an inspiration to me. I got the inspiration for Paul's Mulan parody/tribute from watching a Paul AMV, "Paul will make men out of his Pokémon" by kyoquaza. The song perfectly suits his personality. I creatively improvised and turned it into one suitable for Pokémon, aptly named "I'll make a 'Mon Out of You." As for the setting for Ash and Anabel's private time, the sunset scenery came to me from watching a recently new AbilityShipping AMV with the song, "I'll Always Remember You," created by RosexThorn. I discovered the scene to be part of the Japanese Advanced Generation ending, "Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara," which is translated as "Because the Sky is There." My thought on that ending was that it perfectly captures a friendship moment between Ash/Satoshi and Pikachu, and it could go well with Ash/Satoshi and Anabel/Lila as well. So be sure to thank these guys who created the AMVs for inspiring me.**

**Kasuchi, Koichi; no worries about the mistake on your first review. Everyone is like that early in the morning. Also, believe it or not, MirrorRivalShipping is the true name of the pairing between Zoey and Drew. As much as you and I liked the original name, I can't go around falsifying unless the name I coined up becomes official in fandom. I discovered it off an extensive category list on Bulbapedia called "List of shippers," I believe. Check the site out and you might find a lot more useful info.**

**And colby brown, I have the rest of my life ahead of me. I don't know much about the future of the **_**Stardom series**_** once **_**Tale of Stardom**_** comes to a close. I don't know if I would continue the series or move on in my life. But this is the distant future we're talking about and it's not set in stone. I still thank you for your concerns.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. All feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	20. Overdrive

**Well, the last chapter was something I've wanted to try my hand at, creating something that resembles a sort of filler. I mean, I was able to make a song out of it while at the same time create a romantic, yet slightly sexual scene. The Mulan parody, however, was just practice for some more songs later in the story, favored **_**Pokémon**_** movie songs to be more precise. I guess I did a decent job on incorporating a song into a chapter. I have my reasons for doing the last chapter, and you'll see that practice pays off. Plus, the brief Ash and Anabel moment was just icing on the cake for AbilityShippers out there, metaphorically speaking. Well, what's done is done and it's time we resumed the action with the threat of the Admins.**

**And those who were unable to review or log in due to that bothersome glitch that might still be lingering, it's no problem. Things happen I suppose, but it's still a wonder how the site just crashed all of a sudden.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The large cafeteria of the Agate Pokémon Center was pretty much empty in the bleak morning with the exception of a few Chansey cleaning up and preparing for any Trainer and Pokémon in need of an early jumpstart. Considering that the majority of the populace consisted of the elderly and the retired, they would have woken up earlier than seven o'clock to keep in shape for long life. The only person in the cafeteria sat at a rectangular table by a window and drank his steaming black coffee with a pervasive scowl on his face. His breakfast plate was completely cleaned up and devoid of scrambled eggs and his tray cluttered with a used napkin. His eyes were calmly closed, pondering on more important matters than simply admiring the rising sun from the Orre horizon. His abrupt encounter through the lingering forest-green portal into an _almost_ extreme intimate moment nearly burned his eyes off while leaving him with disdainful thoughts over someone he actually considered a worthy rival.

_What am I ever going to do about those two?_ Paul thought, taking a gradual sip of a drink that tasted almost as bitter as his attitude. The searing, viscous liquid glided between his tongue and the roof of his mouth, prompting him to take a sharp exhale. _They're losing perspective over the real world. And our so-called 'Aura Guardian' isn't even going to go after those pathetic criminals until the last minute so that he would look like an even larger big-shot than before. Nothing will ever be accomplished unless I take charge._ Paul gained some respect for his upbeat rival after the Sinnoh Conference, but still despised him for his friendship with his Pokémon. Such bonds seemed unnecessary, having taken it all from early experience; all Paul needed was respect and power from Pokémon, nothing more. But his current battling style, from his humiliating losses from the Sinnoh Conference to his and Ash's last battle in the Battle Dimension had been tottering between his old cruel ways to one where actually gave encouragement to his Pokémon. He still leaned toward the former, considering that it was the foundation of his personality, his motivation on becoming a powerful Trainer, and watching with his own black eyes on how easily distracted Ash became whenever his dear Anabel was present.

"Hey, Paul!" Ash's voice called out to him. The rival's face twitched roughly, his eyes still closed. He could hear his footsteps approaching him, as well as another's. He needed not to guess who the second person accompanying Ash was.

_Speak of the devil_, Paul thought, seething quietly to himself. Opening an eye, he saw the troublesome couple with their favorite Pokémon sitting across the table from him, carrying their own breakfast. Anabel was allowed a seat by the window with Espeon purring at her legs while Ash and Pikachu settled down on a chair next to her with what seemed to be a miniature buffet on his tray. Knowing that Ash had something of a bottomless pit for a stomach, Paul noticed his plate was full of scrambled eggs, French toast, bacon, and a glass of orange juice with ice. _What the heck…?_ He shifted his eye's gaze on Anabel, who only had a small cup of piping herbal tea in her hands; no food whatsoever.

"We didn't see you at the room last night or anywhere in the Pokémon Center when we returned," Ash stated, heavily stuffing his mouth with as many breakfast items as he could fit before swallowing them. Paul was rather repulsed as usual from his somewhat messy eating habits, noticing that his Pikachu was merely entertaining himself with a bottle of ketchup and Anabel staring into the sparkling amber liquid sweltering in her cup. After one huge gulp, Ash exhaled deeply, pounding his chest a few times. "So I'm assuming that you did sleep in the lobby's sofa?"

"Hey, I was just giving you two some _extra space_," Paul replied, hissing out his last two words in a fuming rage. Ash got the subtle idea for where his surly rival was taking the not-so-friendly conversation into. But before he could argue back, Anabel stopped him with a brief touch on his arm.

"If it actually makes you happy, Ash and I haven't done anything else since we got back from Relic Cave," Anabel answered in his stead, her tone curt and her lilac eyes still focused upon her steaming herbal tea. "We didn't bother waiting up for you, went to our separate beds, and said 'Good night!' as usual before lights out."

"Hmph, that's funny," Paul began, downing more of his coffee casually. "Last time I checked, your mouth was stuck to his and your hands were full of his abs as they inched lower to his belt." The Salon Maiden gasped sharply while Ash, overhearing his crude implications, nearly choked on his eggs. He pounded his chest several times, gasping for breath as the food managed to slide down his throat. Anabel was not about to let Paul win this terrible mind game, this dangerous field where she knew that he had a reason to despise her. She knew what his reason was to viciously torment her, but Ash belonged with her. That was all that mattered to her now.

"You know, you don't have to hide your jealously towards Ash's charm with the ladies anymore," Anabel retorted coolly, a somewhat victorious smirk growing by the corner of her mouth. "It's not my fault he knows which spots are the most romantic to spend time in. He _knows_ how to treat a lady, after all." The gruff sound of Paul's exhale was audible. Sensing the overpowering tension of anxiety in the air, Ash pretended to be more interested in finishing his breakfast so that he could have a second helping.

"I guess _you_ would know, after all," Paul shrugged, his tone strangely calm as his fingers lightly jiggled his half-empty cup. His face remained as unreadable as ever, which had always been a problem for others to consider him as a friend or a foe. Anabel remained wary of him, mainly because of his lasting uncaring attitude towards her and Ash. "Instead of helping him maintain the reputation of the greatest Trainer of his generation, you made yourself _easy_ and allowed him to _get some_ before emasculating him for your own pleasures." The strangled, abrupt noise rumbled from Ash's throat as he choked on his food again. The distressed Aura Guardian, with a gaping mouth of chewed bits of scrambled egg and French toast, did not want to believe what he had just heard from Paul; he sensed a deadly, yet beautiful aura of utter disdain uprising in the window seat right next to him.

"Take… that… back… _now_!" Anabel hissed, her lowered voice trembling in derision. Her steaming tea cup started to tremble against her hands, anxious to find millions of ways to rid herself and Ash of their callous ally.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Paul replied in a tone of false innocence, flaunting over the fact that he was easily able to lead her emotions around like a puppet-master when it came to her relationship with Ash. _To think, she supposed to be calm. This is why true power needs no useless attachments such as this 'innocent relationship.' Hmph!_ He had critically noted and observed Ash's current strength and leadership over his Pokémon, considering all of it to be slipping the more he was with Anabel. For him to be considered as his rival was unacceptable, though Paul was amazed on how long he tolerated his supposedly greatest rival beginning to settle down and still remain strong. It had to go one way or the other, in his cold black eyes; never both. To him, Ash was either his strongest rival or he was a childish hero with the greatest luck in the universe, even managing to get into the corridors of his dark mind. But as of right now, he was just having too much fun to mess with their emotions for each other. "So, you're saying that I was wrong about Ash having _got some_ last night? Or was it about me saying that you're _desperate_ and _easy_?"

"I said '_take that back now_'!" Anabel screamed, standing out of her chair haughtily and accidentally knocking aside her tea, not knowing where the porcelain cup and blistering liquid ultimately ended up.

"YE-OOOOOW!" Ash howled as though he was yodeling; his strangled yell was high-pitched and weaved in pain. The tea cup had ended up on his lap. There was a dark stain on the front of his jeans. The searing tea had splashed onto a place where he should never abuse. Pikachu and Espeon, whose brilliant eyes were completely wide in shock, slowly backed away from the anguished Aura Guardian. Espeon hid herself behind Anabel's chair while Pikachu slowly inched away towards the window. The poor young man was in so much pain that he simply fell back on his chair, having the rest of his pain-receiving nerve endings on his head numbed from the earlier accident.

"Ash, I'm _so sorry_!" Anabel immediately cried, clasping her hands together as though she was praying for his recovery. Paul merely placed a hand on his displeased face, muttering his favorite derogatory insult of the pathetic state of his rival. Completely ignoring the surly Trainer's unsympathetic remarks, Anabel knelt down to try to help her lover.

"C-Can't even… bend over…," Ash muttered; his cracking voice quivered as he covered his affected area. A painful tear had involuntarily shed out of the corner of his eye.

"Ash, _please_ let me make up for it and help you," Anabel pleaded earnestly, attempting to get the young Aura Guardian to stay still. Ash, however, somersaulted backwards of his fallen chair and landed squarely on his feet, gradually standing up as far as he could go without the twinge from his soiled groin overwhelming him.

"Gotta go… change _pants_…!" Ash grunted, hopping on one foot alternatively and shuffled himself out of the empty morning cafeteria. A heavy weight pressed against Anabel's tender heart. The Salon Maiden placed a hand over her injured area over the left side of her chest, hoping to heal herself once Ash forgave her for the tea accident. The awful situation did not help at all once a brief, but snide laugh rumbled from Paul's throat.

"You're a bright girl, so you should now know why _you're_ the reason Ash is falling behind in his training," Paul sneered, intensely narrowing his cold, hollow eyes upon the distressed Salon Maiden. "I wouldn't even be here right now if _he_ wasn't the one carrying greatness. Once this whole 'Shadow Pokémon and Giratina apocalypse' blows over, I'm immediately challenging him to a battle where I shall finally triumph over him."

With a smug look composed of a pair of calmly shut eyes and etched with a distasteful smirk, Paul felt rather content adding more insult to injury to the situation. Instead of taking pity on the accident that had befallen his rival, he opted to cruelly castigate the Salon Maiden who started the accident in the first place. What he did not expect, however, was a frigid splash of sticky orange juice and ice cubes showering his face and part of his hair. His disturbed eyes jolted wide open in detestation, discovering that in a brief fit of rage, Anabel had poured Ash's morning drink on him. The empty glass cup slightly trembled in her hand as she breathed heavily over the done deed; she glared upon Paul with intensely focused lilac pupils.

"Is battling the only thing you _ever_ care about, Paul?" Anabel asked, her tone suddenly icy.

"Hmph, _I_ wasn't the one who ordered the tea. Anyway, I was right about you and him. You've done nothing but hinder his potential with your insatiable need for romance. And apparently, his abs was too good for you."

"What _I've_ done?! Why would _you_ even care about Ash? You've made it a point to everyone, including weird strangers, that you and he are not friends."

"Yeah, so what if I did?" Paul scoffed, grabbing a nearby napkin to absorb the remnants of the orange juice on his face while brushing melting ice cubes off his head. His vague response to Anabel's question had puzzled her; he was so difficult to understand his real motives. With hands stuffed in his pockets and an indifferent grunt exhaled, he prepared to leave the table without bothering to put away his tray by the garbage bins. Instead, a Chansey simply came by and took care of the task of Paul's tray without another word. Anabel felt rather sorry for the Egg Pokémon being subjected to such treatment from someone like Paul, but the Chansey did not look like she minded doing the task at all.

"Paul, wait! Where are you going?" Anabel demanded, stomping her foot forward to declare her business was not over yet. Paul stopped in his tracks, merely twisting his head around with the same emotionless scowl and glare on his face as he glanced at her.

"I'm going about on my own business by first washing off that sticky abomination you poured on my head; _you_ should, however, train in Eagun's hidden grounds since today is your day," Paul stated tersely, unfazed by her demands.

"Well, what if I _don't_ train today and rather spend time with Ash, hmm?"

"It's your life," Paul shrugged unconcernedly, turning his head back forward, but did not move from his spot. "But know that if you get in my way again, I won't show anymore mercy the next time we clash. Leave Ash to become strong and there shouldn't be another problem between us."

"That's _all_ you ever see in him? A rival to satisfy your own needs for power?!" Anabel surmised in an incredulous outburst. "You're no different than I am for Ash's love, you nasty hypocrite!" Paul, however, had stopped paying any attention to her and walked off in an even pace of stiff shoulders and an aloof demeanor. As his personage had finally left the cafeteria, the Salon Maiden took a deep breath and collapsed her light weight onto a chair. She placed her hand upon her aching forehead, completely stressed by this hectic morning. Pikachu and Espeon came to her aid from their table, attempting to talk to her and ease her worries.

"Pika, Pikapi Pikachu?" Pikachu asked meekly, concerned about her current relationship with Ash.

"I don't know what's going on with me lately, Pikachu, so I'm afraid I can't really answer that right now," Anabel sighed, her pastel face sullen by her distress. "Everything was going fine until Paul shows up and tries to ruin me so that Ash could become stronger _his_ way… instead of _our _way. I mean, I love Ash, but Paul's just making things so difficult for me that… ugh! I _hate_ him so much now that I wish that _I_ could be the one to shut him up instead of always relying on Ash like I'm helpless or something."

"Pe, Esp-e," Espeon mewled, upset to see her Trainer like this. Pikachu concurred with the Sun Pokémon with a somber nod.

"I'm not going to let his dangerous mind games get to me," Anabel replied. "There's no need to worry anymore." She sounded noticeably calmer now. Even the muscles of her pale face relaxed and allowed her natural radiance to shine out her sweet inner beauty. Espeon smiled, content that the Salon Maiden was able to bounce back despite the disconcerting occurrences that took place breakfast time. "Espeon, let's go become stronger for Ash's sake. Pikachu, can you check up on him and let him know that I owe him one?"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, saluting her off resolutely before running off.

"Let's go, my friend," Anabel hummed to her closest Pokémon, softly petting her on the head before starting their routine for the third day.

* * *

_Four days later…_

It had been exactly seven days since that fateful message from Dakim. The past days have been rather uneventful as circumstances had settled down a notch from the first few days. It was another morning, just like the last, where the sun was estimated to be in between the position of eight o'clock and nine o'clock rising from the east horizon. The heroic, blessed trio had gathered in Eagun's domicile for further news about facing the next Reverse-Cipher invasion targeting Agate Village. The silencing tension had left the entire household spellbound by apprehension. It was unknown what time exactly that Dakim and his new Tag Team partner would show up and ravage the forest village. Plans were needed. Organization was a must. The need to relax in the face of opposition was provided by Beluh's soothing herbal teas. As the group gathered around in the living room with Eagun and Rui, contemplation stormed in their minds as the moment remained eerily quiet. Wanting to break the icy hold that took hold from their anxieties, Ash stood up with a speeding heart and trembling knees.

"Okay, so one extra day of training for either one of us is not going to help," Ash began, pausing to take a deep breath. Anabel, Rui, and Paul glanced at him intently, expecting a show of confident leadership from him. "So… anyone have any _suggestions_ on going about?"

"Well, we all know that they're going after the Relic Stone in order to shatter our lasting connection to Celebi," Rui explained, taking a quick sip of her tea. "It's really strange since today's advances in technology had granted the creation of more purification systems, such as Professor Krane's Purification Chamber."

"Except those Peons attacked the Pokémon HQ Lab when Michael came to escort us from Gateon Port," Paul intervened wryly. "They trashed everything, _including_ Krane's Purification Chamber."

"Besides, we have Ash's powerful aura abilities to open the hearts of Shadow Pokémon," Anabel added, carefully placing her tea cup at the center of the table. "And since the ShadowPokérus also functions as the regular Pokérus, purified Pokémon would have built immunity to it. They'll remain strong thanks to their benefits and once their hearts are freed from the shadows, they'll keep the power boosts."

"Only one problem, though," Paul muttered, his expression grim and glowering as he leaned forward with his elbows pointing out upon his lap. "We still don't know where their base of headquarters is located. And at this rate, we've been liberating almost half of Orre from their control. There have been some places we've yet visited, but as long as they still have that Shadow Giratina in their hands, they can chose to wipe out Orre at anytime unless we can strike fast and hard."

"Hmm, quite a troubling conundrum this is," Eagun mused, lightly tugging several strands of his long beard. "But what does all of that have to do with protecting Agate Village?" The four youth blinked rather stupidly, having allowed their greater worries over the rising criminal organization to envelop their way of thinking. Braking out of the foolish façade first, Paul cleared his throat and stood up to join Ash.

"I've got a plan to defending Agate Village," Paul announced calmly, waiting for all ears in the room to listen to him. "Since we're dealing with a Tag-Team pair of possibly strong Admins, two of our strongest should take them on before they strike the Relic Stone."

"Wait a minute! Are you saying that _we_ should work together, Paul?!" Ash queried, his tone and expression completely disbelieving as was Pikachu's. Paul exhaled, fiercely glaring at the young Aura Guardian.

"Hmph, how do you think _I_ feel for proposing it? As much as I despise working alongside _you_ in battle, we've got bigger matters on our hands. This is just like the day _you_ fused Darkrai into me without my say-so. I still can't believe I was required to be a 'hero' just so I can battle again another day."

"You're also partnering yourself Ash because of the possibility that the Admins' Pokémon are infected with the ShadowPokérus," Anabel interrupted, keenly glaring at the apathetic rival. "You're going to burn out those viruses out of their systems and have Ash come in for the kill, aren't you?"

"Like I told you before, so what if I am?" Paul scoffed. Ash sat back down next to the Salon Maiden and comforted her, much to her sudden blissful relief. The surly Trainer gave a polite bow before Eagun before leaving for the front door, but not before being knocked aside from a familiar young man that hung around outside Eagun's home. He was sent into the cylindrical umbrella bin, groaning mildly in the drawn out pain with the coat rack pressed on top of his purple-haired head. Only his legs stood out from the cluttered mess from the intrusion of the young man making his way past Beluh and her teapot to the living room where Eagun and the others were wrapping up their formations.

"Eagun! Reverse-Cipher troops have invaded the bridge, followed by a scary giant with red hair and some weird primate guy on his shoulder!" the man warned, panting out of breath with a hand on his chest and the other leaning on his knee. Eagun coughed out spittle of his lukewarm tea, standing out of his chair abruptly.

"Then what are we standing here for?!" Ash demanded, clenching a fist determinedly and stood up with Anabel and Rui. "We've got to stop them!"

"It's settled then," Rui announced before the rescue mobilization began out the door. "Ash and Paul will stop Dakim and the other Admin. Anabel, Grandpa Eagun, and I will stop the following troops from creating havoc on the village. Let's do this!"

"Right!"

* * *

"I remember that I sent Skrub years ago to dispose of that accursed Relic Stone," Dakim muttered, stomping through the insides of Relic Cave. Gorigan clung onto his hulking left shoulder, listening to his nostalgic monologue as they loomed closer to the sacred shrine of the forest protector. "But that was when we lacked advancements in both Shadow Pokémon and in technology. Wouldn't you agree so?"

"Personally, I prefer action over words," Gorigan grunted, surveying the forest cave with a brisk sweep of his upper torso. His gangly right arm hung around Dakim's neck, easily maneuvering around his partner's body from the quick scan of the small vicinity.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary aside the blinding light from the exit straight ahead. Still maintaining an even pace while the rest of their troops bullied the elderly population of Agate Village, Dakim and Gorigan entered through the thick mysterious light. Beyond the bright exit, the two Reverse-Cipher Admins had appeared in the secluded forest shrine of the Relic Stone. The lone monument stood there in the center of the gear-shaped stone platform in amidst of the peaceful grove. It strangely gave off a forest green glow from its built crevices. Before the brutish duo took a step forward, a chilling wind whistled through the Relic Forest. The shadows of various tall trees started to shift and grow. The rays of sunlight were partially blocked by several branches several feet high in the air. Dakim and Gorigan became wary of the encroaching gloomy surroundings. Someone or something mysterious had entered the Relic Forest before they did.

"_Do not… come near…_," a brusque voice resonated from the Relic Stone.

"Why don't you come out and make us?" Dakim demanded, haughtily stomping a foot forward to declare the challenge. Gorigan leapt off his shoulder, grunting wildly while pounding on his chest repeatedly. The cold winds came around from several directions, concentrating at a certain spot in front of the Relic Stone. A black puddle was seen darkening in front of the green-glowing monument; it became a person's shadow. Soon enough, flowing purple hair was seen emerging out of the shadow, followed by a scowling, hardened face.

"It's one of those _brats_ that defeated the Hexagon Brothers from before!" Gorigan hooted, hissing the very term Reverse-Cipher had named the bothersome youth that thwarted most of their plans in Orre. "I bet _he_ was the one who rendered Yellosix and Browsix into helpless comas." Paul's head had fully emerged out of the dark ground; the rest of his body was following out of the murky, swirling puddle of smoke. The limitless powers of Darkrai had granted the Veilstone Trainer the ability to move as a shadow on the ground. "What's he doing here? He alone can't stop _us_!"

"He's not alone!" a new, stanch voice declared from behind the Reverse-Cipher Admins. Dakim twisted his large body on a heel, discovering another young man estimated the same age as the first. He had a Pikachu on his shoulder, sharing the same determined expression on his rather adorable face. Dakin seethed to himself, frustrated that two of them have them surrounded. "What took you guys so long?"

* * *

"The first boy managed to get past us, but not the second," a Reverse-Cipher Peon reported to the supposed leading Peon. "He won't be getting past us, eh Skrub?" He and an estimated dozen of troops had begun to spread out to the far corners of Agate Village while the leading two were back at the bridge leading to the Pokémon Center and the lower levels of the Relic Cave. They had prevented Anabel from proceeding after Ash quickly sprinted ahead and went into the Relic Forest to meet up with Paul. The Salon Maiden, not only scolding herself on running so slow, was upset towards the two insignificant Peons that mistook her for a boy. Enough was enough.

"Let me through now!" Anabel demanded, only to be rebuffed by the two Peons' disdaining laughs. "Ugh!" She reached for a Poké Ball, knowing that there was only one way through them. Dealing with overconfident, ignorant gits like them, the Salon Maiden had to let go of her usual politeness in order to throw them out.

"Sorry, little boy," the Peon known as Skrub mocked in a higher-pitched tone to mimic that of a kid's nagging voice.

"This is no place for skinny children like you," his second-in-command hissed, pounding his curled left fist into his right palm as means of intimidation. Anabel was not scared, nor affected, by his weak, empty threat. She had the confident ability to take on half of their militia invading the south and east while Eagun and Rui protected the northern and western sections of Agate Village. If the small army had any Shadow Pokémon on their side, the observant, empathetic eyes of Anabel and Rui would sense their ceaseless anguish in the form of the despicable black aura.

"Why don't you creeps try to stop me yourselves instead of trying to scare me off?" Anabel suggested, her stable tone unwavering as she reeled her arm back for the throw. "Go, my friend!" With an elegant toss of her Poké Ball in the air, the Salon Maiden observed with an eager smile on her radiant face the emergence of her new friend in its first battle on her side, the side of righteousness.

"Shiftry!" Shiftry growled, swinging its arms out and conjured a brisk wind shockwave. The breeze flew through Skrub and his accomplice, ruining their balance and nearly throwing them off their feet. As they were covering from the fall from the strong force of the Wicked Pokémon's wind, the Salon Maiden approached them with folded arms and a confident smirk on her face. Skrub and his secondary Reverse-Cipher Peon saw her looming silhouette under the bright sun leering down the cowering duo.

"And by the way, I happen to be a _girl_."

* * *

_Reverse-Cipher Admins Dakim and Gorigan would like to battle!_

The moment was still as an old-fashioned showdown in the Relic Forest. The tension was binding the cool air circulating through the ancient grove. Ash and Paul were in front of the Relic Stone, having sworn to the great elder of Agate Village to protect the sacred monument that maintained a remaining connection to the legendary Celebi. Eagun warned the two ceasefire rivals about Dakim's overwhelming tactics of using Earthquake and Protect to brutally wipe out his enemies in one blow. His partner, Gorigan, however remained in a mystery. It was unknown what his favored strategies were, but judging from his horrible posture and wild tendencies to beat his chest like a Primeape, he would prove to be an unpredictable opponent.

Dakim stomped forward like a sumo wrestler, flexing his biceps as his blazing red hair bobbed and swayed up and down. The ground slightly quaked, but Ash and Paul remained rigid and steady. Gorigan slammed his fists on the ground furiously, somersaulting forward with a thrust of his arms. These two Admins might prove to be quite a challenge, a complete change from facing the Hexagon Brothers Ω back at Phenac City. But the previous days' worth of training would soon be realized if the entire arrangement in using Eagun's secret ground would be fruitful or not. Dakim pointed at the two young heroes with a thick finger, glaring upon the Relic Stone with a burning fire in his fierce eyes.

"Allow me to go over the rules once more just in case your tiny attention spans couldn't comprehend them," Dakim announced, gruffly chuckling and sneered. "This will be a Tag Battle where all Trainers are allowed Three Pokémon each. Substitutions are allowed and there will be no time limit. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I have one: how will we know _you guys_ will follow your rules?" Ash inquired, fire burning in his firm voice. "Reverse-Cipher hasn't been the most honest organization we know."

"Young man, this is not only a battle that will determine the fate of the fabled Relic Stone, but of true honor and integrity," Dakim explained, pounding his muscular chest with a confident fist. "Why else would I give you brats the heads-up on our invasion?" His explanation sounded rather suspicious as Ash and Paul leaned slightly closer to listen to his words intently. "You see, Reverse-Cipher gave me another chance at greatness. And together with Gorigan, I plan on making a name, a powerful _household_ name, for myself."

"But fighting for Reverse-Cipher?!"

"It doesn't matter to me if I played the hero or the bad guy. As long as I get all that I need, then I _will_ succeed."

"Enough talk!" Paul interrupted, scowling ferociously as a low growl rumbled in his throat. "Are we going to battle or not?"

"My sentiments… _Ook_… exactly!" Gorigan screeched, thumping his arms on the cold stone ground. He snatched a Poké Ball out of his belt and wound up his arm for the pitch. "Primeape, let's go!" Gorigan called forth the first Pokémon into battle. The Primeape that materialized from the white flash behaved as wildly as he did, huffing about on each foot alternatively.

"Since my partner's so enthusiastic…," Dakim mused, clutching his own Poké Ball in his large hand. "Solrock, come forward!" His Poké Ball snapped open, releasing the Meteorite Pokémon in a bright white flash into battle.

"Sol…," Solrock hummed dully, floating lifelessly in the air next to the anxious Primeape. The sunlight was blocked by Darkrai's inner presence surging restlessly within Paul's body. Solrock did not seem active at the moment. Ash gazed upon the Admins' Pokémon. They both had no black aura; they were probably saving their strongest Pokémon for last.

"Looks like it's our turn," Ash commented as he and Paul prepared choosing their first Pokémon to match the Admins' unique combination. Before they all officially began the promising violent battle, the young Aura Guardian gazed upon the Poké Ball in his hand, concerned about the Pokémon within. Even Pikachu shared his introspective thoughts and expression as he looked down into Ash's hand as well. _This is going to be your first battle with me. Do your best as always and I will help you the rest of the way._ He overheard a coarse grunt from Paul; his surly rival looked into his somber eyes. Coming to a momentary truce as powerful rivals, they nodded together and began to throw their Poké Balls forward. "Walrein, I choose you!"

"Ursaring, stand by for battle!"

Their Pokémon bellowed upon release, stretching their limbs and other appendages as the white energy dispersed from their bodies. Ursaring growled darkly, baring its frontal claws against Solrock and Primeape as a force of intimidation. It achieved no reaction from Solrock; Primeape, however, was raring to go as it furiously threw its fists into the air, jabbing left and right in the Hibernator Pokémon's direction. Walrein glanced around the forest battlefield, perplexed by the different interactions of the Pokémon around it.

"Walrein, get ready!" Ash called out. His encouraging command helped the Ice Break Pokémon focus on the main goal, to defeat the opposing side, the very same side that forced it against its will with their insidious artificial virus.

"If you're not going to move, then _we'll_ make you!" Gorigan declared arrogantly. "Primeape, use Karate Chop on that traitorous Walrein!"

"Ursaring, get in there with Slash!"

"Ur-ring!" Ursaring roared, stomping in front of Primeape's path and disengaged the Pig Monkey Pokémon's chop with a powerful swipe of its white-glowing claws. Primeape staggered back, angered at Ursaring's interference as it started throwing a frustrated tantrum. The Hibernator Pokémon smirked over Primeape's lack of control over its rotten temperament.

"Walrein, use Ice Ball on Solrock!"

"Waaaaal…!" Walrein bellowed, rearing its head up and conjuring a glittering, rough-cut diamond of ice in front of its tusks. "… Rein!" The Ice Ball was formed into the size of its gaping mouth and fired promptly as Walrein pushed itself forward, striking Solrock squarely in its face before it could have reacted.

_Hmm, decent strength_, Dakim thought, noting the power behind the first Ice Ball that struck his rather inactive Meteorite Pokémon. He was able to maintain his cool for a much longer time due to his extensive time in prison. He was a noticeable calmer man, only throwing a dangerous fit when it served him right. _Walrein's a lot stronger with this kid than with Blusix, that's for sure._ His eyes shifted over to the miniature brawl between Gorigan's Primeape and Paul's Ursaring. "Solrock, use Sunny Day!"

"Soooool…!" Solrock rumbled, releasing a bright orb of solar energy from its top rock shard. The orb circled into the top of the secluded Relic Forest grove, exploding in the sky and unleashing an increased intensity of the sun's power upon the grove. "Sol-rock!" Solrock felt significantly more active than before, hovering around its airspace in circles to contain its rising energy.

"Now use SolarBeam on Ursaring!"

"Soooool…!" Solrock hummed, quickly garnering a huge amount of energy emanating from its artificial sun into its top rock. Ash and Paul were extremely chary of the situation. Ursaring was still in a physical melee against the berserk Primeape, matching and countering its swift Karate Chops with its own Slash attacks. There was only one option, and only one perfect moment to strike before Solrock could fire its SolarBeam.

"Ready?" Ash asked Paul in a mutter. The latter narrowed his piercing black eyes on the fight between Ursaring and Primeape, waiting for the precise window of opportunity to open up and leap through. The Pig Monkey Pokémon was tiring itself out with its excessive barrage of Karate Chops while Ursaring remained in full strength due to its brutal discipline from its Trainer. One Slash attack managed to throw Primeape off it off its balance; the moment was now.

"Go now!" Paul declared with a sway of his arm.

"Walrein, jump on Ursaring for a Body Slam!"

"Ursaring, Hammer Arm Walrein into Solrock!"

The total cooperation between both Trainers and their Pokémon was placed in its first test. Having learned to follow Ash's word since their first day of training together, Walrein slapped its flippers off the ground and leapt into the air over Ursaring. The Hibernator Pokémon leaned back, its thick furry forearms glowing solidly overhead. It waited as Walrein's shadow was casted almost over its entire body. The seconds passed slowly as the faultless moment came closer. The Ice Break Pokémon was descending closer and closer to Ursaring, whose impatient growls made Walrein rather nervous.

"Riiiiing!" Ursaring bellowed, launching itself up and slamming its powerful forearms into Walrein's backside like a volley ball. The Ice Break Pokémon's face twitched in pain as it felt the numbing shockwave from Ursaring's Hammer Arm; Ash even noted the suffering from the short distance. Its remarkable velocity caught the Meteorite Pokémon off guard as Walrein loomed in close.

"Solrock, fire!"

"Walrein, use Ice Ball to protect yourself!"

"Waaaaal…!" Walrein hollered, creating its second, larger Ice Ball in front of its mouth. The size of the Ice Ball had quickly grown to almost match its height at the exact moment Solrock had set its narrow SolarBeam in motion. Since its special attack power was relatively weak in reality and that its attack was dealing with an Ice Ball at its second stage of size and density, the SolarBeam had dispersed into streams of light that refracted off of Walrein's Ice Ball. Walrein flew in and tackled Solrock with the majority of its blubbery bulk. The impact of its Ice Ball against the source of the SolarBeam caused a forceful explosion that threw both Pokémon onto the ground.

"Walrein, you okay?" Ash asked loudly. Dakim merely glanced silently at his fallen Solrock, waiting for the final verdict of the collision. Both wounded Pokémon survived from the impact of the explosion, but dirtied by the smoke and dirt thrown their way.

"Not bad at all," Dakim commented, his tone impassive. "Solrock, Earthquake!"

"Soooool-rock!" Solrock rumbled, its sun outline shining in an earthly brown power. The Meteorite Pokémon slammed the bottom tip of its body into the ground, casting a powerful seismic shockwave that tossed Walrein to its Trainer's side due to its adjacent range to Solrock. Walrein was sent flying past Ursaring and Primeape as they resumed their close-ranged combat; the two violent Pokémon could really care less to what would happen to the others around them.

"Oh, man," Ash groaned, distressed by the state of his newest Pokémon. "Walrein's been taking too much damage now from the boost from Ursaring to the crash with Solrock."

"Since Hammer Arm happens to be a Fighting-type move, I could only imagine how much endurance Walrein has left," Paul added, shifting his cold black eyes at his worrisome partner. "You should have improved your Walrein's defenses against _all _kinds of moves."

"Well, your Ursaring didn't have to blow its top off waiting for Walrein to come down for a safer launch," Ash retorted, glaring back at him.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Paul replied as though he did not hear Ash's complaint over his Ursaring. Ash gritted his teeth and turned away. Though he _was_ his Tag Team partner for this battle, Paul still did not plan to _get along_ with Ash. He helped him at some instances, but he was still in this for himself. He suddenly noticed that the seismic shockwaves from Solrock's Earthquake were still heading towards Primeape and Ursaring, the former having been issued a command for Protect. The resilient green bubble formed around the Pig Monkey Pokémon, absolutely defending it from Earthquake. There was only one thing left for Paul to do. "Ursaring, jump off of Walrein to avoid Earthquake!"

"What?!" Ash shouted; his entire expression and body formation were incredulous. Pikachu was nearly thrown off his shoulder from the sudden shift of his posture. "I'm not going to let you do that to Walrein." He seized Walrein's Poké Ball out from his belt and directed it at the limp Ice Break Pokémon before Ursaring used it as a trampoline for its own preservation. "Walrein, return!" Ash beckoned the red light from the Poké Ball to retract Walrein back. The moment Ursaring hopped on top of it, the Ice Break Pokémon's body converted into red energy that flew back into the Poké Ball while leaving Ursaring face flat on the stone ground.

"I will deal with you later," Paul whispered to his rival in a tone that warned of an ominous, cold death. He turned his attention to his lone Ursaring, who merely stood back up and waited to take on the seismic wave itself. "In that case, use Bulk Up and Hammer Arm!"

"Ur-Riiiiing!" Ursaring roared, flexing its powered forearms high in the air as a wicked red aura blazed from its body. "Riiiiing!" The Hibernator Pokémon slammed its arms down, effectively disposing of the Earthquake's shockwaves with its own bare hands.

"Hmph," Paul grunted, nodding to its satisfaction while casting an iniquitous sneer upon Ash.

_Geez, give me a break already_, Ash thought, feeling the pressuring gaze of his ill-tempered rival beating down at his own morality. _I hope Anabel's not having a hard time like I am…_

* * *

"Shiftry, blow them away with another Leaf Storm!"

"Shiiiiift!" Shiftry shouted, releasing a tremendous force of leaves from its core with the outward wave of its hands. The Leaf Storm blew back several Mightyena and Golbat belonging to six Reverse-Cipher Peons at the east side of Agate Village. "Shiftry Shift Shifty."

"I know that, my friend," Anabel replied. "So far, these criminals don't have a Shadow Pokémon on their possession. I'm not sure if the Peons Eagun and Rui are dealing with have any."

"Ha! If you wanted Shadow Pokémon, just talk to our superiors dismantling the Relic Stone right now!" a Reverse-Cipher Peon boasted foolishly.

"Oh, I doubt that's happening right now," Anabel contradicted politely, baring a smirk on the side of her pale face. "If I can deal with you guys, then I'm sure that my boyfriend and his rival are more than a match with your Admins." Before she could issue a command out to Shiftry to deal with these weak punks, she overheard some sort of jumbled murmuring among the rowdy Peons.

"Boyfriend? Are you gay or something?" another rude Peon asked. Anabel sharply gasped in disgust. Even Shiftry could feel her inner rage and embarrassment flare up from the abrupt comment; it wasn't even a Psychic-type Pokémon to begin with, but it was in tune to nature as well as its sincere Trainer.

"I'm a _girl_!" Anabel screamed through her gritted, pearly-white teeth. _Shiftry, Extrasensory on the double!_

* * *

Within the dark labs of Citadark Isle, the monthly examination of Shadow Giratina, codenamed XD00∞ had begun. The shadow chimera of antimatter and distortions was shackled in large titanium bracelets suspending its six jet-black legs and around its silver ribcage. It was kept in a separate, remote room in order to safely measure the amount of potential it had so far. Ardos, Admin Stein, and several lowly scientists had begun their procedure as the statistics and live video of the creature had activated on wide screen and began accumulating the net power of XD00∞.

"Tell me, Stein, how much longer until our ultimate weapon can be sent out to finally begin the apocalyptic destruction while still under our absolute control?" Ardos queried, his tone rather eloquent.

"As of now, XD00∞ must reach a total level of seven thousand, according to our scale," Stein replied, adjusting his glasses for a clearer read of the increasing levels by thousands. "Any level beyond the preset limit while it's still in this premature stage is not good. Not only do we get to say good-bye to this world, but we'll have to say good-bye to us as well. It'll turn into a rogue and destroy everything, and I _mean_ everything."

"I see," Ardos mused to himself. _Greevil, you may have given up on being Grand Master of all, but I will not let you down. Not again…_

"Sir, there's something wrong!" a scientist spoke up. A warning siren was activated while its red light flashed over the smaller monitor on his computer screen. Ardos and Stein watched alongside him the sudden malfunction of the system. The entire staff observed from their individual monitors that the numbers continued to accelerate, but at an even quicker pace as they nearly reached seven thousand. Signs of rebellious life reanimated the shackled Shadow Giratina as its movements caused sparks to fly out of its tight restraints.

"What… What's going on?" Stein demanded. "What does the power level read now."

"Seven thousand… eight thousand…," Ardos murmured, his expression horror-struck as Stein's warning echoed in his head. _Impossible! This cannot be. I cannot let things fall out of control. Not again!_ The brilliant Reverse-Cipher Admin noticed that their leader was becoming extremely aggravated upon the turn of events. The power level continued to increase and Shadow Giratina was struggling for radical liberation was its dark powers surged through its durable body.

"Ardos, just… calm down," Stein advised warily. There was no stopping his master once he began to release his utter aversion and rage. The Admin glanced around the room; the scientists started to panic. "Everyone, administer the ShadowPokérus Anesthetic and decrease XD00∞'s power level back to its recommended level before it reaches—!"

"It's over Nine _THOUSAND_!" Ardos roared; the resonations of his ardent outburst rumbled in concurrence with Shadow Giratina's resistance. With a fit of blind rage, he punched his right fist into the computer monitor in front of Stein and exploded upon the harsh impact. The blue-clad leader was blown backwards as the electric feedback and bursting mechanism of the computer gave him a lasting effect on how life was unfair to villains.

"Ardos!" Stein yelled, running towards his leader mangled up against the wall while the other scientists injected the sedative into XD00∞ in the form of wicked purple electrocutions from the titanium shackles around its body. Upon closer look, he was repulsed by the great disfiguration his rage had bestowed upon him. Stein further backed away as Ardos rose, as a man whose flesh was eaten away by half of his face by electricity and right arm rendered useless from the blow, cackling maniacally.

* * *

**The reference to that funny, yet annoying Dragon Ball Z meme was to celebrate both the number of hits of **_**Tale of Stardom**_** and my profile page. They've both finally reached over NINE THOUSAND! Ah ha ha ha! Anyway, you can probably imagine in the story that Ardos has lost his remaining sanity from the accident, if he actually had any left in the first place. So what have we learned so far? Anabel learns more about Paul's cruelty towards her, his particular interest in Ash's strength, and the first half of the battle against Dakim and Gorigan which will be continued and finished next chapter. **

**Kasuchi, Koichi; I found the name for Lucian and Lorelei to be SpecShipping. I guess you were close. **

**One last note to all of you: While I do respect the opinions from each and every one of you readers out there, I do **_**not**_** tolerate the abuse of such freedom in the form of flames, spam, and mistaken identities though the form of anonymous reviews. I will not say this again. There's already enough strife out there in the world. If you plan on bringing it here to my stories, then you have **_**no**_** place here whatsoever. If you're guilty of no crime, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	21. Relapse

**Hmm, there's not much for me to say right now. This chapter will wrap up the second Tag battle, as well as reveal a startling, horrible revelation among the heroes. Anyway, as most of you have guessed it or not, I get many inspirations from many places, even from the unlikeliest of them all. I just stumble upon them and powerful ideas start swirling in my head, but I digress.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The heated battle of four superior combatants within the isolated Relic Forest had come to a deadlock. The two brutish Admins of Reverse-Cipher stood tall and daunting, sneering behind their somewhat fatigued Pokémon. The vicinity was still bright overhead from Solrock's Sunny Day as a quick attempt for a SolarBeam. So far, there were three Pokémon worn out from their earlier altercations while the fourth was recalled back for fear of its safety. The fleeting concern over Walrein's health was coldly rebuffed by Paul as he fiercely glared at his optimistic rival and momentary Tag partner over his ephemeral retreat. Ash could feel his icy cold stares burn and sear right through his cognizant soul.

"What was the big idea recalling Walrein back?!" Paul demanded, baring a somewhat canine-toothed snarl by the side of his rough mouth. Ash firmly gritted his teeth, his expression palpably seething in low frustration. "Was it because it couldn't handle playing with Ursaring after _we_ helped _you_? Get over it. What's done is done."

"Okay! I get it!" Ash retorted snappily, swiftly glancing back at the battlefield. "Besides, substitutions _are_ allowed. I had to play it safe and smart because _you_ were abusing Walrein!"

"It's called 'working as a team,' or have you already forgotten something you're _so_ fond of?" Paul mocked, his tone heartlessly sardonic.

"I think it's more along the lines of 'taking advantage of your partner for your _own selfish needs_'!" Ash fumed back, unclipping a new Poké Ball from his belt. Paul disregarded his intense display of anger as always, opting more to defeat the two Reverse-Cipher Admins either with or without his help. As the surly Trainer observed Ursaring resuming another close ranged, unarmed confrontation against Primeape, Ash prepared to call out a healthier Pokémon to take Walrein's place. "Sceptile, I choose you!" With a strong throw of the Poké Ball, the young Aura Guardian watched as one of his great powerhouses took form out of the Poké Ball's white energy.

"Sceptile!" Sceptile grunted, adjusting the twig in his mouth to the corner and leered decisively at his new enemies.

"Since we're battling in a forest, it'll be _your_ time to shine, Sceptile!" Ash called out, accompanied by a concurring cheer from Pikachu. "Sceptile, go!" Upon the command, the Forest Pokémon followed his first gut instinct and leapt up the nearest tree without another word, swiftly climbing up the durable bark with his clawed fingers and toes. He made his way up closer to the blinding solar light in the tranquil sky produced by Sunny Day. As he climbed to a significantly high point where he could launch an instant SolarBeam, Dakim's Solrock persistently hovered around the tree and made it up to Sceptile's current height level. They both were several feet from the ground, almost barely visible as the Sunny Day's light seemed to consume them.

"Solrock, blast Sceptile off with SolarBeam!"

"Sceptile, dodge it and grab onto Solrock!"

"Scep…!" Sceptile growled as he felt the concentrated solar power building behind his beck, agilely somersaulting off the tall, nearly boundless tree trunk while narrowly escaping a sudden SolarBeam passing by his tail. "Scep-tile!" He sailed over Solrock and recalling the second command after evading its attack, Sceptile grabbed the top corner rock shards and held onto the Meteorite Pokémon for dear life. The sudden increased weight threw off Solrock's balance, allowing the force of gravity to pull both Pokémon down to earth. As they slowly descended from Solrock's decreased levitation resistance, Sceptile noticed from the corner of his eye that Primeape and Ursaring were in another frenzied standoff with colliding Karate Chops and Slash attacks. "Tile…"

"Ursaring, Focus Blast!"

"Freeze that deformed teddy bear with Swagger, Primeape! _Ook!_"

As Ursaring concentrated its mind on creating the shining blue sphere of mental energy in its paws, Primeape stomped forward with a menacing glint in its furious eyes. It snorted out a roasting hot steam from the nostrils of its snout nose. A low grumble reverberated in the Pig Monkey Pokémon's throat as the outline of its body radiated a blood red glow. The anger vibes had reached out to Ursaring, effectively disrupting its concentration for a Focus Blast as its mind became consumed with unimaginable blind wrath boiling from the inner depths of its nature. Its warm blood coursed faster, speedily delivering uncontrollable adrenaline and raging hormones through its simple-minded, susceptible brain. The Hibernator Pokémon clutched its head, flailing and roaring uncontrollably as it was losing its self-awareness and willpower to its sudden, unpredictable infuriation.

"Ur-RAAAAAH!" Ursaring roared, thrashing about with feral Slash attacks all around itself and sending Primeape to the side with one nearly close swipe to the vein-protruding forehead. "Ring! Ring! UR-RING!" Paul bared his gritted teeth, frustrated by Ursaring's abrupt loss of restraint. He had to make a decision. He had to either recall Ursaring while losing the tremendous power boost from Primeape's Swagger or risk giving his volatile Hibernator Pokémon a command. He was not about to back away with such power at his command, and he was not about to let it go to waste because of a mere temporary status ailment.

"Ugh…! Ursaring, Hammer Arm!"

Ursaring lumbered about the field amidst everyone's view. Sceptile and Solrock were coming down to the ground; the former completely seized the side shards of the Meteorite Pokémon in his powerful grip, making sure Solrock was unable to levitate away. With Primeape resting at a tree and out of Ursaring's sight, that only left one possible target. Through the Hibernator Pokémon's burning red eyes, the dark silhouette of a large reptilian creature, otherwise known as the King of the Forest, had aggravated it the most within the blood red background of its blinded sight. With another deafening roar, Ursaring trudged forward towards Sceptile and the captive Solrock with thick glowing forearms radiating power above its head. Sceptile stood his ground, still holding onto a rather frantic Solrock as previously commanded.

"Sceptile, let go of Solrock and get out of there!"

"Scep," Sceptile grunted with a curt nod, throwing Solrock aside and immediately fled from his spot before Ursaring greatly slammed its arms on the pavement. The force of its newfound brute strength noticeably cracked the stone ground.

"Running away again, are we?" Paul scolded, his tone unnecessarily harsh. Ash winced from the severity over the reprimand of his noble action. "You had the enemy in your hands and you blew it for the both of us. Ursaring was about to attack your Sceptile out of blind fury and you could have had Solrock taken the fall, but instead you go off listening to your _easily misled heart_! You know they would have used _you_ as a shield if given the chance."

"I don't use others as redundant shields for my own protection, including my opponents! That's _not_ who I am!" Ash retorted offhandedly, causing Paul to step back, rather impressed by his backbone. "If their attacks are redirected to each other, then that's another thing." The young Aura Guardian, seeing as their banter was not going anywhere with their stubborn attitudes, disengaged himself from the senseless argument to resume concentrating on the battle. "Sceptile, use SolarBeam on Solrock! Let's go!"

"Sceeeeep…!" Sceptile growled, garnering the excessive solar energy from the Sunny Day with the bulbous nodules on his back before the artificial sun began to fade away from the clear, vibrant blue sky. He discovered Solrock attempting to fly away, having been weakened from its previous conflict with Walrein. "Scep-tiiiiile!" Sceptile released a powerful SolarBeam swift enough to capture the slow Meteorite Pokémon in its light and completely incapacitate it for the rest of the battle.

"Solrock, return," Dakim grunted, recalling his fallen Pokémon into the Poké Ball in his large, burly hand. With a brooding gaze upon the Poké Ball, he could not help but feel rather impressed of the speed and strength of their opponents. _Reverse-Cipher is really underestimating these brats' potential. It's time I kicked it up a notch…_ Upset as he was for being the first Trainer to lose a Pokémon, Dakim took a deep breath and remained cool. He took out another Poké Ball, tensing his biceps as he glanced upon his steady young opponents. "Go, Swampert!"

"Swampert!" Swampert growled, narrowing its beady orange eyes on the active Sceptile and the fatigued Ursaring. "Swamp?" It heard Primeape approaching it, clutching onto the left side of its body with its tense right arm after the brutal survival against the violent Hibernator Pokémon.

"Prime-agh," Primeape grumbled, wincing forward with its eyes shut tight as the twinge on its side surged and the cross-shaped vein on its head bulged out rather grotesquely upon its temple. "Prime… Prime… Prime…" Swampert noted its current partner's heaving panting, as well as its thirst for retaliation against Ursaring.

"Let's give them another round to test them," Dakim suggested to his eager partner hopping in place. "Do _you_ want to do the honors this time?"

"I thought I'd never get the chance!" Gorigan screeched excitedly, relieving himself of unnecessary energy with several hard pounds on his chest to slow his rapid heart rate. "Primeape, it's your turn for Earthquake!"

"Swampert, use Protect!"

"Swamp!" Swampert grunted, forming the impenetrable, shimmering green barrier around its body. "Swampert…" The Mud Fish Pokémon watched as Primeape mustered up its remaining strength to leap high into the air and send out powerful seismic shockwaves using only the tensed muscles of its entire weight. Stomping upon the ground furiously, Primeape sent out visible shockwaves identical to that of Solrock's earlier Earthquake spreading out throughout the battlefield. Swampert was safe as the glowing seismic waves collided weakly against its Protect. The only Pokémon that have yet to be affected by the powerful Earthquake were Sceptile and Ursaring.

"Sceptile, jump and dodge!"

"Scep!" Sceptile grunted, leaping high in the air and watched ardently as the Earthquake shockwaves forced the hopelessly confused Ursaring off its feet and into complete submission. The Hibernator Pokémon was completely drained of its power out of its exhausting frustration and tyrannical madness. Paul recalled it without another word, placing Ursaring's Poké Ball back in his pants pocket with a discontented look on his edgy face. Sceptile remained in midair, scanning over the entire field. So far, Swampert was still kept within its protective green bubble and Primeape was losing its enduring ability to keep up in battle.

"Now Sceptile, dive down and use Pound on Primeape!"

The keen eyes of the Forest Pokémon immediately narrowed upon his designated target. As instructed by Ash, Sceptile contracted his body into a sleek missile and dove down towards the weakened Primeape from above. The air brushed through his lustrous green body as he begun to involuntarily spin his entire body in a clockwise turn. He did not need to listen to Ash to know that he would want the extra spin for the increase of his tail's power. The memory reminded him of the time he was a Treecko that sought for a rematch with Seviper by training himself at a waterfall, ultimately destroying the rock at the bottom of the waterfall with a powerful spin. The technique was about to resurface as Sceptile neared Primeape. Swampert, however, was attempting to disengage its Protect. The Mud Fish Pokémon was too slow as Sceptile, with a mighty yell, brought his tail down and great slammed Primeape into a tree, rendering it incapable to continue.

"_Ook!_ Primeape, return!" Gorigan yelled, recalling his defeated Pig Monkey Pokémon and seethed over its swift trouncing. "You'll pay for _that_ one, brat. Primeape happens to be my favorite Pokémon!"

_I can imagine why_, Ash thought with a rather awkward look on his young face, slightly taken back by Gorigan's outrageous threats.

"That does it!" Gorigan screeched, winding up his arm for the throw for his second Pokémon. "Hypno, let's—!"

"Hold it, Gorigan!" Dakim interrupted, seizing his partner's lanky arm in his muscular grip. Gorigan was wild with vehemence and with only one loss, too. "Don't send out your Hypno just yet. After all, they won't survive if both our Shadow Pokémon are on the field."

"Then recall Swampert and send out _yours_!" Gorigan insisted through his flat teeth, screeching riotously as he tried to tug his arm out of Dakim's compact grip. Dakim sighed, shaking his head and taking in another deep breath to contain his mild irritation towards his Tag partner. Gorigan fumed, grudgingly calming down and ceased his erratic movements in attempts to take his arm back.

"When the time comes, but for now let's deal with these brats the old fashioned way," Dakim advised. With a reluctant nod, Gorigan resumed his horrible hunched position and switched his Hypno's Poké Ball with another. "Slowking, let's go!" With a meager toss in the air, the Poké Ball snapped open and released in a bright white flash a Slowking whose personality greatly contrasted against its Trainer's unpredictable demeanor.

"Wow, they have a Slowking," Ash commented, his tone sounding rather impressed. "This is going to be interesting."

"Pi-ka," Pikachu sighed in curiosity as well.

"Hmph, please," Paul scoffed coldly, taking out his second Poké Ball out from his pocket. Ash glanced at him, cautiously noting both the sheer disrespect and severity that weaved themselves in his low voice. "We're dealing with Water-types right now. If you and Sceptile actually do your part and attack like you did with Solrock, then we should be finished even sooner than possible." The young Aura Guardian was not sure whether to take his curt words as straight advice or another insult. "Torterra, stand by for battle!" Paul aimed his Poké Ball upon the spot next to Ash's Sceptile, throwing it with a rigid side pitch and watched as it opened up.

"Tor-terra!" Torterra growled upon its release from the Poké Ball into battle, landing upon the ground with a huge thud. Sceptile stumbled on his feet from the aftershock, inquisitively eyeing at his new partner, a fully evolved Grass-type Starter Pokémon just like he was. "Terra Torterra?" Torterra asked what the hell a Sceptile with a twig in his mouth was looking at it for. For a supposedly patient Pokémon, the Continent Pokémon was rather sulky like its Trainer.

"Sceptile Scep-Sceptile," Sceptile grumbled back, displeased by its attitude when he was just giving Torterra a quick scan to see how strong it was. "Scep Sceptile Scep." The Forest Pokémon also did not need the extra affront to his cool twig. Torterra rebuffed his interest, opting to wait for the perfect moment to strike its opponents once their guards have been dropped.

"Alright! Sceptile, use Leaf Blade on Swampert!"

"Swampert, counter him with Focus Punch!"

"Swaaaaamp…!" Swampert growled, gathering and focusing its strength within its two hands. Sceptile ran over to the Mud Fish Pokémon, twin Leaf Blades blazing from his wrists. "Swam-pert!" Swampert stopped the blades with every collision of its fists. Despite the supposed type advantage over Swampert, Sceptile discovered that his blades were not keen enough to slice through its rigid muscles as his Leaf Blades cancelled out every time they collided with Swampert's Focus Punches.

"Sceptile, switch to Bullet Seed!"

"Swampert, block them!"

"Scep-tiiiiile!" Sceptile shouted, spraying an innumerable amount of luminescent yellow seeds to shower his opponent with. Swampert raised its arms up to defend, feeling the sharp pain pummeling through its arms. It would have felt the pain through the rest of its body if its arms were not durable enough to withstand the bombardment. "Tile!" Sceptile began another barrage of Bullet Seed with a fierce grunt, firing them out of his mouth like a machine gun. The Mud Fish Pokémon was trapped and immobilized by the relentless shower. What either Pokémon did not know was that Gorigan's Slowking was watching them with a rather relaxed look in its wide eyes.

"Slowking, use Confusion to remove that annoying Sceptile!"

"Slowking Slow," Slowking mumbled, lightly tapping a hand to its spiral Shellder crown. The gleaming red jewel at the front center of its crown lit up in blue psychic power. "Slow-king!" The mental trap captured the unwitting Sceptile as apparent as the astonished look in his eyes. He was still showering Swampert with Bullet Seed, but was unable to move a single inch of his body.

"Sceptile, no!" Ash cried, gritting his teeth and glared at Paul. His surly rival just stood there next to him inertly, not having given Torterra a single command since its release into battle. "Aren't you going to help us or what?!"

"Hmph, the last time I helped you, you cried over the fact that your Pokémon took damage as well," Paul stated without even facing him. "I thought you can get out of messes on your own since you simply recalled Walrein from 'abuse' and substituted with Sceptile." Ash was taken aback by his emotionless, uncaring response, fuming a lot more than before over his lack of cooperation. Even Pikachu had a look of disappointment on his adorable face, narrowing his deep eyes on his best friend's rival.

"Come on, Paul! We're supposed to be a _team_! Have Torterra stop them before Sceptile gets totally creamed out there!" Ash pleaded, his tone irate. A few seconds had passed and Paul remained stationary. It was only when he finally blinked and exhaled calmly that Ash was able to gain peace of mind.

"Fine," Paul muttered darkly, lifting his head up and tensing the hardened muscles of his dour face. "Frenzy Plant! Go!"

"Tor!" Torterra roared, attaining a bright green glow around its entire body. Its forest power surged within its huge shell as it lifted itself up on its hind legs. "Tor-terra!" With a lumbering growl, the Continent Pokémon stomped forward and called forth several tree roots coated with thick thorns to slither about and eliminate its opponents. The tree roots flailed upward, designated towards the Slowking occupied in manipulating Sceptile like a puppet while Swampert was practicing its Focus Punches against the Forest Pokémon's face and stomach. Both Dakim and Gorigan were absolutely single-minded upon Sceptile, intent on brutally making him pay for the elimination for their first Pokémon. "Terra!"

"Slow… K-King?!" Slowking stuttered, discovering the Frenzy Plant looming overhead. The Royal Pokémon lost its concentration over Sceptile's body out of fear from the impending tree roots that were about to pierce into its body.

"Swampert, get in there and help Slowking!"

"Swamp!" Swampert grunted, leaping next to its Water-type partner. With no other command from their not-so-bright Trainers, Slowking and Swampert simply stood there as they took on Torterra's powerful Frenzy Plant head-on. The explosive collision caused the forest dust to erupt and brisk winds to blow across the humans' faces from different directions. The winds were strong, preventing an accurate read of the outcome as everyone braced themselves from the aftershocks. Soon enough, though, the winds eventually died down and the dust settled in. The roots had retracted back into the ground, leaving Torterra in a vulnerable, immobile state after having used its most powerful attack.

It was discovered the both Swampert and Slowking were completely devastated from the vicious Frenzy Plant; the fruits of Paul's training have allowed Torterra to knock out the Water Pokémon together with one hit. Both Pokémon writhed in agony on the stone ground, scuffled and nicked by the unforgiving thorny roots. Having been deemed unable to continue and possibly critically injured, Dakim and Gorigan simultaneously recalled their fallen Pokémon, only for a burning rage of hatred to rise from within their attempted cool veneers. From where Swampert and Slowking were last seen, Sceptile was found at a corner, his left knee badly wounded.

"Hey! Your Frenzy Plant also harmed Sceptile!" Ash protested, fuming at Paul's cold carelessness. Paul's hollow black eyes glanced at him without a pretense of denial.

"I thought you said you didn't care if your Pokémon got hurt when they happened to get in the way of my rescue," Paul muttered coolly, deeply frustrated and irritated by his supposed partner's contradicting demands. He was right. The concern over his own Pokémon was driving Ash into insensible matters. "Hmph, this is what I was talking about a long time ago."

"What?!"

"You're allowing your pathetic concern and 'friendship' with your Pokémon to cloud your mind and judgment as always," Paul explained, baring an austere snarl. Ash was strangely intimidated by his affront, considering that he went through his insults for more than a year by now. "I thought you said that you knew what _real_ power was like. So, where's all that power your faith and your friendship is said to give you, huh? Hmph, I was right all along."

"_Shut_ it, Paul," Ash warned, his temper rising and his entire body trembling in revulsion. Pikachu sensed his boiling anger, instantaneously hopping off of his shoulder as a precaution and watching the two rivals at each others' throats with shimmering concern in his eyes.

"It's not my fault that you've lost control of many things, including yourself to your _girlfriend_," Paul sneered, hissing the last word in utter detestment. "Throughout our time in the Orre region, you've done nothing but slack off with that good-for-nothing, needy wh—."

"_Don't_… say it!" Ash threatened in a harsh whisper; even Pikachu cringed from the sudden icy tone of his voice. "Don't you dare… call Anabel _that word_…!" A rather cruel smirk curved up the side of Paul's face, underneath his bitter, piercing eyes. It was just so easy to lead his fevered emotions around; he was just as weak as ever. The surly Trainer could not believe how _he_ managed to attain greatness and victory from the most powerful Trainers from the four main regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh.

"Hey!" an abrupt yell roared from the other side of the battlefield.

Paul and Ash broke out of their rather extreme quarrel, discovering that both Dakim and Gorigan were seething out of impatience and the fact that they were completely brushed aside for their own matters. Dakim's muscles trembled in ferocity, pointing at the two young men for their unintended disregard to their opponents. Tensions were rising to a restless pitch. Both sides were feebly trying to restrain their unbridled wrath, but such emotions had erupted out for different reasons. Ash was furious at Paul's callous and indifferent treatment towards his own Pokémon despite having come to an armistice. Paul was fed up with Ash's pathetic contradictions and allowing his feelings to cloud his thoughts. Finally, both Dakim and Gorigan were not known for their patience throughout their earlier services in Cipher. Their tolerance for many things often dove into the red zone quickly. No matter how much they meditated in prison to keep their cool, their dangerous tempers were what made them who they were.

"This battle's not over yet! _Ooh ooh ooh!_" Gorigan declared, pounding his chest to relieve himself of the extra stress. "You've still got our final, strongest Pokémon to deal!"

"And to top it all off, they've finally embraced the ShadowPokérus lifestyle," Dakim added, smirking aggressively and bared his huge teeth. Both Reverse-Cipher Admins reeled their arms back and began the simultaneous throws to call out their Shadow Pokémon. "You've finally got our full attention _and_ anger to deal with, you brats! Dusknoir, come forward!"

"Hypno, let's go!"

Out of the ordinary Poké Balls, they came out in a bright flash. The dreading feeling of apprehension slithered up Ash's spine; Paul noted that this showdown was bound to happen. Ash's opened aura senses could see the horrible black aura vibrating and blazing out like wildfire out of the materializing Pokémon as the white energy of their Poké Balls dissipated and sparkled away. From Dakim's possession was an ominous Dusknoir whose face-like pattern on its abdomen resembled a frightening scowl. As for Gorigan, the unpredictable Admin owned a sneering Hypno whose back was almost as hunched as Gorigan's. Sceptile limped away from them as quickly as he could upon the revelation of the Shadow Pokémon, making his way back to a stern Torterra.

"Scep Scep-tile," Sceptile muttered unobtrusively, swearing at Torterra's lousy aim for also injuring his left knee. Torterra had not heard him as it glared upon its final two opponents whose hearts were consumed by shadows.

"Sceptile, can you keep going?" Ash asked, to which Paul rolled his eyes into the back of his head. Sceptile replied with a raised arm lazily swaying in the air, along with a rather shaky thumbs-up. "Awesome! Let's start off with Leaf Blade on Dusknoir!"

"Sceeeeep…!" Sceptile growled, charging in on his designated opponent as a green aura emanated out of his body. To everyone else, the effect of Overgrow had taken root in the Forest Pokémon. His Leaf Blades grew to twice their size and sharpness. One hit from his Leaf Blade would completely obliterate an estimated half of Dusknoir's stamina. Dakim was not about to let such a travesty of his strength happen, not on his pride and honor anyway. With a concurring nod from Gorigan, it was time to resort to more drastic and more brutal methods. It was his turn to deal out the heavy damage.

"Dusknoir, Shadow Quake! Now!"

"Hypno, use Shadow Dome!"

"Noir!" Dusknoir moaned hauntingly, curling its huge arms around its torso. The black aura became visible around its body, uprising as the Gripper Pokémon gathered its power for the Shadow equivalent to Dakim's favorite move. Sceptile did not cower, but instead quickened his pace in order to take Dusknoir down before it would attack. "Dusk-_noir_!" Dusknoir had spread its arms out, unleashing a terrifying, ghastly black shockwave that seared right through Sceptile's abdomen merely inches away while bouncing off Hypno's Shadow Dome. The powerful Shadow move wiped out Sceptile's remaining strength while scorching through Torterra's powerful defenses. Even the stable Continent Pokémon did not have much tolerance against Shadow moves, yet it still endured the hit.

"Sceptile, no!" Ash cried, flinching out of frustration for their inability to foresee the misfortune. _That was a new Shadow move closely resembling Earthquake, yet it's so destructive to non-Shadow Pokémon… and many others._ Ash scanned the short forest area that the Shadow Quake reached out to. There were disfiguring black bands burned into the trunks of harmless trees. There was even a noticeable black smudge on Torterra's face, yet the Continent Pokémon pretended that it was not suffering from its lingering anguish. The young Aura Guardian recalled his Sceptile; his and Pikachu's expressions were somber. "Great job out there, Sceptile. Take a nice, long rest."

"And just what did Sceptile do out there that was great anyway?" Paul's cold voice intervened. Ash placed the Poké Ball back on his belt and glared at him, much to his complete apathy.

"Torterra wasn't the only one who took out two of their Pokémon, Paul," Ash explained, attempting to remain as collected as possible without throwing another fit. Paul raised a skeptic eyebrow and grunted brusquely. "Sceptile took out both Primeape and Solrock while you were still deciding on your second Pokémon after Ursaring's fall."

"Maybe so, but did you knock them out when they were still at full strength? I didn't think so," Paul replied curtly, disregarding Ash's incensed mood and resumed his singular focus on the battle. "Torterra, Stone Edge!"

"Tooooor…!" Torterra growled, using its inner power to conjure two glowing rings around its large body. The rings broke apart into several rock shards, circumnavigating at a slower pace around its shell. "Tor-terra!" With a mighty bellow, the Continent Pokémon unleashed its Stone Edge at Hypno, having used its better judgment that the Hypnosis Pokémon had disengaged its Shadow Dome and thereby left itself defenseless.

"Dusknoir, intercept with _your_ Shadow Dome!"

"Noir!" Dusknoir grunted, hovering in front of Hypno and produced its own jet-black spherical barrier. It held its hands up, securing the Shadow Dome's efficient defenses in front of Hypno. Paul remained as blasé as before; he knew another way around the Shadow Dome.

_It only protects Dusknoir because it's in the way_, Paul thought, a subtle smirk creeping up on his face. "Torterra, redirect the Stone Edge around them!"

"Tor!" Torterra grunted. Its eyes lit up, asserting its control over the flying rock shards it personally created from its own minerals. Before they collided into the impenetrable black bubble produced by the Gripper Pokémon, Torterra separated the shower with an abrupt nod. The Stone Edge had split into two paths that left Dusknoir as the fork, much to both its and Hypno's incredulity.

"Dusknoir, get behind Hypno! Quick!"

"Too late!" Paul barked, thrusting his arm down as the signal to finish the deed. "Torterra, go!"

"Tor!" Torterra growled, redirecting the gliding rock shards with its patient mind into Hypno's back. The Hypnosis Pokémon was forced onto its stomach, reeling from the inconceivable power Torterra had pelted into its back. However, this had only enraged Hypno as it leapt back on its feet as though the Stone Edge barely touched it.

"Excellent!" Gorigan hooted, hopping in his spot excitedly. "How about you repay that Torterra with interest? Use Shadow Storm, Hypno! _Ooh ook!_"

"Hyp-no!" Hypno shouted. Combining its natural psychic powers with the contemptible black aura that gave it corrupting power, Hypno called forth frigid gales from different directions to form a dark twister in front of it. The Hypnosis Pokémon used the tempo of its swinging pendulum to regulate the swirling dark winds before sending it off into a destructive rampage against its enemies. Dusknoir floated away into safety, gazing sinisterly with its single red eye upon the portentous tornado.

"What are you waiting for?" Paul queried, sneering at Ash. "Where's your Pokémon?" From watching Paul's Torterra in action right after his surly rival's criticism over Sceptile's performance, Ash nearly forgot to send out a Pokémon into battle since. Fumbling about as Paul swore under his breath, the young Aura Guardian snagged a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it into action without another word. He did not know what Pokémon he had sent into battle, but hoped it was for the best.

"Walrein!" Walrein bellowed, returning into battle before wincing forward from the wounds it received earlier in the Tag battle. "Wal…!" The numbing sensations from Ursaring's Hammer Arm and the brilliant collision against Dakim's Solrock still remained in its blubbery body.

"Walrein, hang in there!" Ash cheered, his tone becoming even more unyielding by the minute. Thinking quickly on his feet, there were several moves he had yet allowed Walrein to use. He had to try its entire repertoire of attacks, defenses, and supports if he and Paul were to have a chance to stand against Shadow Pokémon that belonged to a pair of fearsome, loutish Reverse-Cipher Admins. "Walrein, Surf! Let's go!"

"Wal-rein!" Walrein barked, clapping its flippers together and conjuring a tidal wave of water from the fertile forest ground underneath it. The surprising display had apparently caught both Dakim and Gorigan off guard as the gigantic wave was suddenly pulled along towards the Shadow Storm. Torterra, who was in the center of the action, braced itself to endure the pressuring water while observing the clash between Walrein's Surf and Hypno's looming Shadow Storm.

As if on cue, Walrein led the tidal wave on as a king against the insidious tornado that threatened its friends and gruff allies. At first, the conflict between the two wide-ranged attacks would end up in an unstable stalemate. But with Walrein under Ash's guidance, the Ice Break Pokémon's astonishing power over water had managed to not only match the Shadow Storm in terms of power, but gave Walrein full mobility to move out from the crash and into a new maneuver. As the Trainers from the sidelines watched speechlessly, Walrein moved into an automatic Body Slam over a rather panicky Shadow Hypno.

"H-H-H-H-Hyp-NO!" Hypno cried, attempting to shuffle its way out of Walrein's impending shadow and blubbery weight. The evading attempts of the Hypnosis Pokémon ended in failure, feeling the full weight of its inability and Walrein crushing its damaged back. Hypno could not even struggle to get out of under Walrein.

"_Ook!_ Damn it all!" Gorigan screeched in fury, panting heavily to the sky before swiftly pulling out Hypno's Poké Ball. "Hypno, re—!"

"Walrein, Ice Ball! Let's go!"

"Wal!" Walrein grunted, coughing out the smallest Ice Ball it could conjure up and spat it at Gorigan's hand. From that instance, Dakim realized how the heroes managed to obtain the Shadow Pokémon from the late Hexagon Brothers Ω. The Ice Ball collided into Hypno's Poké Ball and disarmed Gorigan, who only hooted and swore incoherent curses in his colorful vocal tirade of the abused English language as he waved his aching hand in the air. The Poké Ball was sent into the air, only to be caught by a rather dainty hand by the Relic Cave entrance. At that moment, Ash, Paul, Dakim, Gorigan, and the rest of the Pokémon glanced at the same direction. The delicate hand was attached to a lightly lavender-shaded sleeve that was connected to a formal blouse with gold trimming; the blouse was worn by a young, lilac-haired, and somewhat androgynous woman roughly Ash and Paul's age that also bore a cute smile on her pale face.

"Anabel!" Ash exclaimed, greatly ecstatic from her reappearance. Paul rolled his eyes in apathy as usual.

"How did you get in here past all the Peons?" Dakim demanded, his tone even. Anabel leaned against the cave entrance casually while examining the craftsmanship of Hypno's Poké Ball in her hand. "Well? Answer me!" The giant Admin's impatience got the best of him again, yet his answer came in the form of Eagun and his granddaughter appearing out of the Relic Cave.

"Your men never stood a chance against us since they did not own a Shadow Pokémon to their name, Dakim," Eagun explained, chortling to himself. "You see, you should really thank this visiting young lady for scaring them off. Her temper was even scarier than yours."

"Seriously," Rui began. "Those Peons of yours kept mistaking Anabel for a boy, so she and Shiftry eliminated most of them quickly before coming to our aid." She glanced at the Salon Maiden, who merely gave the redhead an innocent smile as she took care of Hypno's Poké Ball. "Anyway, Grandpa Eagun's Pikachu did a fair job and all, but man! Anabel is an amazing Trainer!" Rui carefully glanced at Ash and winked. "She's also a great catch." The young Aura Guardian got the hint and smiled back at both her and Anabel.

"Come on, Paul, let's finish this battle," Ash urged, feeling a new wave of exhilaration put him back on action. The Reverse-Cipher Admins, satisfied with the intruders' explanations and quite impressed of their scaring off their men, had also resumed their attention to the Tag battle. The ambience of the forest had calmed down. A gentler wind blew across the trees. It was now Walrein and Torterra against the lone Shadow Dusknoir, the finishing battle of two against one. Walrein had flopped back to its Trainer's side, having just enough endurance to last the fight against Dusknoir. As many great battles have started off, the beginning was nothing more than an agonizing stare-down. With no other choice but to break the silence, Ash hastily called out for the first move since the pressure had reached its boiling point. "Walrein, use Ice Ball!"

"Torterra, Giga Drain!"

"Dusknoir, dodge them all and use Shadow Quake!"

"Noir!" Dusknoir grunted, swiftly flying about as Walrein's second Ice Ball was launched and missed it. The Gripper Pokémon weaved itself through the incandescent green tendrils that erupted from Torterra's back mountains. Both Pokémon's attacks had failed to capture the rather elusive Pokémon despite its size. "Duuuuusk…!" Dusknoir began to garner the subtle power of its black aura within its core; its now solidifying black aura had given the Gripper Pokémon protection from Walrein's and Torterra's attacks. "… _Noir_!" With an appalling roar, Dusknoir unleashed another trembling Shadow Quake; its sleek black waves were both super effective and overwhelming to the large Pokémon. Walrein and Torterra tumbled backwards by the horrific force, rendering incapable of continuing.

"It looks like I'm not the only one down to his last Pokémon," Dakim commented, smirking. He heard abrupt cheers coming from Anabel and Rui, to which he nodded to Gorigan to shut them up. As the wild Admin was about to intimidate the two girls to keep them quiet, he came face to face with a Shiftry who had an even fouler disposition than he did. Anabel's Shiftry kept Gorigan at bay, unable to say or do a thing now that all his Pokémon were out of commission and his Hypno was no longer under his ownership. At the meantime, Ash and Paul recalled their Pokémon; the former thanked Walrein for all that it had done for its first battle with him while the latter exhaled sharply and rolled his eyes in irritation. Now began the final round of the Tag battle with a hefty Shadow Dusknoir with much black vigor in its heart.

"Lucario, I choose you!"

"Weavile, stand by for battle!"

Their final Pokémon appeared at the blink of an eye after the bright release from their Poké Balls. Without another word or grunt, they took their formidable battle stances and prepared for Dusknoir. The Gripper Pokémon merely glowered at them with its intimidating red eye. It started off at another standstill. This round truly mattered as their last Pokémon stood at full height, waiting for the first attack. This time, Paul struck first with the cast of his arm out in front.

"Weavile, Swords Dance! Go!"

"Wea!" Weavile grunted, extending a sort of sharp violet glow from its claws. "Wea-Wea-Wea-Vile! Wea-Wea-Wea-Vile!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon began some sort of strange dance with the protruding violet extensions frenetically slicing the air around it. Lucario looked at it from afar skeptically, brushing the weird feeling off and resumed attention on Dusknoir.

"Dusknoir, Shadow Ball!"

"Noir!" Dusknoir bellowed, firing the only non-Shadow attack from its hands towards its desired opponent, Lucario. The purple, blob-like sphere flew at a rather slow pace, much to the Aura Pokémon's relief.

"Lucario, get close to Dusknoir with ExtremeSpeed!"

"Rah!" Lucario grunted, disappearing in a blue blur to everyone's surprise. "Ru! Ru! Ru!" Lucario sprinted from corner to corner. It became enormously difficult to tract the movements of the Aura Pokémon, from blue flash at one corner to another blur at the next. Dusknoir became perplexed, panicking over where Lucario might be next, not knowing that another Pokémon had ganged up on it while the Gripper Pokémon was distracted.

"Weavile, Metal Claw!"

"Weavile!" Weavile shouted as it leapt in the air with extended, silver-glowing claws ready to pounce. One quick slash greatly harmed Dusknoir as it anxiously reeled back from the vicious scars it received from the Sharp Claw Pokémon.

"Don't take that!" Dakim roared. "Send that Weavile packing with another Shadow Quake!"

"Lucario, it's your turn to use Metal Claw!"

"Raaaaah!" Lucario shouted, sweeping past through Dusknoir with the three steely blades protruding out of the bone spike on his right wrist. It added a lot more injury to the Gripper Pokémon as the extra momentum came from Lucario's ExtremeSpeed. While no one had truly considered it, Ash and Paul were finally working as a team with both agreeing on disagreeing, in a sense. The very thought of it was staggering. In other words, they kept their mouths shut and strong opinions to themselves. In terms of communication, their Pokémon's attacks were the perfect means of relaying their thoughts to one another.

_Dusknoir is being overwhelmed_, Dakim thought, his expression solemn and arms folded across his buff chest. He noted that his sole Shadow Pokémon was losing the fight now that Lucario and Weavile had begun to willingly cooperate with one another. Weavile pushed and immobilized the Gripper Pokémon back with Blizzard. Lucario charged in at it with Bone Rush, smacking it around expertly with a green aura staff shaped like a long bone. _There's nothing more my anger and I can do. I've lost the battle… for now._

This was a first step for Dakim, the stubborn hothead. In surprising humility in full view of everyone, the giant Admin purposely dropped Dusknoir's Poké Ball at the same time Lucario's and Weavile's combined Metal Claws had finished it off. The seconds were passing by slowly. Everyone's eyes had widened over Dakim's act. The Poké Ball was drifting towards the ground while at the same time Dusknoir fell back out of complete exhaustion. Both the Pokémon and its Poké Ball fell onto the ground, shattered and free. There was nothing more that could be said for a man that had seen many things throughout his life, a man whose temperament had greatly changed throughout all those years in prison. A man that richly desired power and greatness through any means available, Admin Dakim had made his decision. It was one small step backward in Reverse-Cipher, but a huge step forward in his personal goals.

"What the hell?! _Ooh ooh! Aah! Aah!_" Gorigan screeched, outraged by his surrender and flailed his lanky arms about. Dakim grabbed both his partner's wrists as tightly as he could, forcing the wild Admin to calm down.

"We're not kicked out of Reverse-Cipher, Gorigan," Dakim stated, leering into his trembling Admin's eyes. "We've got better things to do other than knocking down a Relic Stone."

* * *

There was nothing out of the ordinary in the lavish dining hall within the base of operations in Citadark Isle. There was a long dining table that expanded out meters, yet it looked empty and unoccupied. The reason for that was because it was Ardos' dinner time. The mad, psychotic leader of Reverse-Cipher had been discharged out of the medical ward, sporting a new look that was destined to instill endless fear into the hearts of all beings. The right side of his face was covered in a sort of jet-black machinery, replacing the flesh that was supposed to protect his cold blood flowing between his face and skull. The right half of his shades had spikier corners that concealed a menacing, analytical, lifeless red eye underneath. Ardos had even become an amputee with his useless right arm replaced with a cold, jet-black mechanical limb that was supposed to function as his normal arm. His accident had taken a toll on his physical being. His mentality, however, was another story.

"Dinner, sir," a Reverse-Cipher Peon mumbled, pushing a cart with a spherical lid on top towards Ardos' seat at the far edge of the table. The Peon was accompanied by Stein, who merely wanted to see his leader's progress on adapting to his new improvements, in a sense.

"I'll take it from here," Stein said, sliding the lid and plate in his stead and place the meal in front of Ardos. He unveiled today's dinner to be a rare Tauros steak, still dripping with fresh scabby blood. "Ardos, sir, I've come to report Dakim and Gorigan's failure at destroying the Relic Stone."

"No matter," Ardos growled, picking a fork up with his new mechanical arm. Stein and the Peon got the hint that he wanted to be alone when he dined. Together, they pushed the cart back out and left for their leader to enjoy his raw steak in peace. With a sinister smirk and gleaming sharp teeth, Ardos forced his fork right though the center of his juicy steak. He held the dripping piece of raw meat in front of his face. His ferocious appetite caused him to snap his head forward and viciously rip a huge bite out of the meat as the blood and his own saliva dripped in a vile mixture down his chin. He chewed the meat rather sadistically, torturing the dead carcass of the Tauros that wound up to be today's dinner. "_Blood's not enough_!"

* * *

"_A Nosepass, huh?" Ash mused, glancing at Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon on his shoulder gave a zealous smile, nodding once. "Okay then. Pikachu, I choose you!"_

"_Pika!" Pikachu yelled, leaping off and joining the lone Nosepass in the battlefield. Nosepass' nose accurately pointed at Pikachu. The emotion from the Compass Pokémon's eyes changed from relaxed to fierce. "Piiiii…" Pikachu stared back, his red cheeks eagerly discharging static._

"_Go for it, Pikachu!" Anabel cheered with a sparse amount of Trainers that support Ash. They were mostly young boys that admired him for standing up with that speech of his. The remaining Trainers, the female majority of the Pre Gym, were diehard Justy admirers. Paul was the only one who remained silent and neutral at the side lines, glaring upon the chosen Pokémon for battle._

'_If you were actually serious about showing him that you can handle your responsibility, you should have sent out Sceptile or Tyranitar,' Paul thought, an irate sneer marking his face. 'You still talk and act like a goddamned little kid. Pathetic…'_

* * *

"_The battle's over!" a young Trainer from the side declared. "Both the Pre Gym Leader's Nosepass and the visitor's Pikachu are unable to battle! It's a tie! A tie it is!"_

"_Nosepass, return," Justy said, holding up the Poké Ball and retracting the Compass Pokémon back into his possession. "Thank you for the wonderful battle." He gingerly walked towards Ash, who cradled Pikachu in his arms and also thanked him for an awesome job well done. "Though it was a tie, I would definitely give you a Badge for your troubles since I loved the battle. I can see now that you do have what it takes to save Orre with your friends, Ash."_

"_Thank you very much, Justy," Ash replied, standing back up. They both shook hands to officially cement their friendship and trust. Their audience, save it for Paul, had applauded loudly and cheerfully._

"_Let's not keep them waiting," Justy suggested, motioning towards the side exit with his thumb. Ash nodded and followed the Phenac Pre Gym Leader out of the elevated battlefield, down the steps to meet with everyone else. They were all content and satisfied with the brilliant display of their great battle._

"_You did wonderful, Ash," Anabel complemented._

'_Pathetic…__,' Paul thought, his eyes closed and expression unapproachable. The seeds of bitter dissention had sowed themselves within him the moment Ash had engaged in battle with Justy. Not only did he disapprove of Ash's tactics, but he was violently against it. His battle with the Pre Gym Leader, in his eyes, was another waste of time for him to act like a kid. "Well, I—Aah! Oh!"_

_Paul had tripped over something, landing face first into the floor. The entire staff of the Phenac Pre Gym was laughing rather lightheartedly over his little mishap. The laughter did not last long, however. The moment they heard something of a demonic growl coming from the throat of the dark Trainer, the young Trainers silenced themselves immediately and resumed their duties. Determined to find out how he tripped over, Paul lifted his head up and noticed Anabel kneeling down, conversing with a Diglett. He deduced the situation as another pathetic attempt by Anabel to get him to acknowledge her as an actual threat like Ash somewhat posed to him._

"_Here's a piece of candy for your troubles, Diglett," Anabel said, presenting the reward to the little Mole Pokémon. The Diglett sang happily with the candy on tow, burying underground to rejoin with its Trainer. Paul narrowed his piercing eyes on the Salon Maiden, who then approached the Veilstone City Trainer lying on the ground. His eye level was up to her ankles. "That's a good look for you, Paul."_

"_Stuff it if you know what's good for you, little girl," he threatened, looking up at her smiling visage._

"_What? You __didn't__ like the trip I gave to you?" Anabel asked in false innocence. She turned on her heels before Paul could grab them and was about to go off to join Ash and Justy. "Just consider this for now, Paul. You were just owned by a dainty, little wallflower." She gave him a playful smirk and winked back before running off. Paul stood back up and brushed off the floor dust on his chest and stomach region._

"_These two are __pathetic__," Paul muttered, enunciating each syllable of his favorite word in a deadly whisper._

* * *

"_Hmph… If you wanted to save yourself some grief and some brain cells, you should have just taken their Poké Balls along with you… like me," Paul taunted, presenting the two Poké Balls containing his acquired Shadow Pokémon as proof. Ash stepped back, surprised that Paul managed to attain the Poké Balls without much of a struggle with their captors._

"_Wait a minute… What happened to the Hexagon Brothers __you__ fought, Paul?" Ash queried; his auburn eyes wide. Paul released a brisk grunt, looking away from his demanding inquirer. "Paul?" The surly Veilstone Trainer closed his eyes tightly, refusing to look at him and answer him back because he would rather not face the outcome of it. Ash was so predictable with learning bad news. "Paul, you're not going to make this easier."_

"_If it'll get you to __shut up__, then it looks like you've got me," Paul grumbled, slightly raising his arms up in surrender. "But first…" He enlarged the two Poké Balls in his hand and tossed them in the air. They promptly opened up and revealed the Shadow Pokémon he rescued in a bright white flash, Ampharos and Claydol. The Shadow Pokémon materialized on the ground, their stomachs pressed against it and their expressions asleep somewhat in pain._

"_I'm guessing you had Darkrai's help in putting them asleep," Ash pointed out with Paul's confirming nod. The latter began to smirk from remembering about everything that went on in his last battle, up to its gruesome finale._

"_That… and something else," Paul added darkly, his smirk exuding an eerie vibe. Ash was bewildered about what his rival meant about using Darkrai's power on something else. The answer slowly dawned upon him after considering Paul's rather brutal battle tactics and his lack of remorse towards lowlife criminals like the Hexagon Brothers Ω. His mouth gaped, breathing out in small gasps of horror-struck incredulity._

"_I'd __probably__ figured out what you did, but please tell you __did not__," Ash begged, his body trembling slightly. Paul's smirk turned into a scowl, unimpressed on his sickened reaction._

"_Let's just say those two lowlife losers are going to need __a lot__ of therapy once they wake up," Paul simplified cryptically, folding his arms across his tough chest and turning away gruffly from his supposedly greatest rival. '__Childish fool doesn't understand what measures must be taken to teach these criminal scum a lesson. If he keeps going easy on them like he always does, nothing will ever be done unless I take charge! How pathetic…'_

* * *

"_Age before beauty, son," Eagun declared, pulling his arm back for the toss. "Pikachu, come forth!"_

_The dusty looking Poké Ball spun from the flick of his surprisingly agile wrist, snapping open with a loud crackle of white energy bursting forth. The light took form of the Pokémon he called out in his battle yell, a Pikachu; Ash, Anabel, and even Paul were stunned to see that he reached mythical greatness with the help of a Pikachu. Upon closer examination of Eagun's Pikachu, it looked slightly larger than Ash's Pikachu with several messy tufts of yellow fur sticking out around its body. Its loose fur tufts drifted in the wind's path like Eagun's long robes. Its deep eyes no longer shimmered with the brilliance of youth and passion; they were dull with wisdom and age. Despite its fragile physical looks, Ash could see its aura blazing at random intervals from its old body._

"_His Pikachu's been through as much as he has," Ash murmured quietly to his buddy. "Pikachu, I think this will be the true test of our friendship and the trials it went through. We may not have as much experience as they do, but we're __just__ as strong as they are, right?"_

"_Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, his affirmative arm curled up to his body._

"_Then let's get in it to win it, buddy!" Ash proclaimed, casting out his pointing arm to the battlefield. His Pikachu ran off his arm like a bridge and joined Eagun's Pikachu in the ensuing One-on-One battle. The Mouse Pokémon exchanged determined glances and a few words in their language; it was like giving each other good luck._

"_What are you doing?!" Paul chastised harshly, interrupting the onset of the battle. "If you were serious about wanting to go to see the Relic Stone, you should have sent out Tyranitar or Sceptile to take on his Pikachu instead of matching him move for move. You can be so boneheaded at times that it's __really__ pathetic!" He felt a swift, but somewhat weak smack by the side of his head. He felt the painful heat burning upon his right ear. He roughly turned to see Anabel retracting her hand back to her side, glaring into his eyes with what seemed to be her most serious disposition._

"_I'm not going to warn you again," Anabel advised; her tone calm, yet threatening. Her lilac eyes narrowed gradually, yet kept the seriousness to a low level as she promised Ash. "If you have something useful to say, then don't put your own feelings in it just to force it down others' throats. If it hasn't helped you, it's not going to help Ash." The brusque Veilstone Trainer scowled at her with a dark look, only to rebuke her off with a disdainful grunt and resumed waiting for the battle between Pikachu to start._

* * *

"_You're a bright girl, so you should now know why __you're__ the reason Ash is falling behind in his training," Paul sneered, intensely narrowing his cold, hollow eyes upon the distressed Salon Maiden. "I wouldn't even be here right now if __he__ wasn't the one carrying greatness. Once this whole 'Shadow Pokémon and Giratina apocalypse' blows over, I'm immediately challenging him to a battle where I shall finally triumph over him."_

_With a smug look composed of a pair of calmly shut eyes and etched with a distasteful smirk, Paul felt rather content adding more insult to injury to the situation. Instead of taking pity on the accident that had befallen his rival, he opted to cruelly castigate the Salon Maiden who started the accident in the first place. What he did not expect, however, was a frigid splash of sticky orange juice and ice cubes showering his face and part of his hair. His disturbed eyes jolted wide open in detestation, discovering that in a brief fit of rage, Anabel had poured Ash's morning drink on him. The empty glass cup slightly trembled in her hand as she breathed heavily over the done deed; she glared upon Paul with intensely focused lilac pupils._

"_Is battling the only thing you __ever__ care about, Paul?" Anabel asked, her tone suddenly icy._

"_Hmph, __I__ wasn't the one who ordered the tea. Anyway, I was right about you and him. You've done nothing but hinder his potential with your insatiable need for romance. And apparently, his abs was too good for you."_

"_What __I've__ done?! Why would __you__ even care about Ash? You've made it a point to everyone, including weird strangers, that you and he are not friends."_

"_Yeah, so what if I did?" Paul scoffed, grabbing a nearby napkin to absorb the remnants of the orange juice on his face while brushing melting ice cubes off his head._

* * *

All these wearisome memories, as well as those from the Tag battle with Ash earlier today, had made Paul's mind up. It became clear to the cold, surly Trainer of Veilstone City that nothing was ever going to be accomplished as long as he stayed in the group. It was troublesome for him to deal with his rival's romance, but earlier today, he had to save his ungrateful behind several times. Ash should have been satisfied enough that his Pokémon were free from the Reverse-Cipher Admins' traps. They were merciless, and yet Ash still displayed a sort of nobility and honor. It was no doubt from Dakim's speech about how even _they_ would abide by Tag battle rules. One clear example was having his Sceptile release Solrock out of his grip as the hopelessly bewildered Ursaring thrashed about on the field. They could have taken the Meteorite Pokémon out on the spot, but no. He did not want to use Solrock as a disposable shield, and Solrock was the enemy. Another example that greatly disgusted him was his insistence that they allowed Dusknoir and Hypno to stay behind and free after their purification, releasing them back into the wild just so that they could protect the Relic Stone. They did not understand what prompted them to take on such a task, but it was in their nature as benevolent Pokémon that have been freed from the abrasive shadows.

It was not like it mattered anymore to Paul. He could only take so much of his and Anabel's shenanigans to know that they were losing sight on their main goal. Paul never really wanted to be a hero to begin with anyway, but he despised cowardly criminal organizations with a passion. He knew that if they were allowed to do whatever they want, his career as a Trainer would have come to a bleak, disastrous end as there would be no one else to test his own power against. The battlefield was where he sought peace. It became his second home, no doubt. His own family was weak. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was unable to stand up to Cyrus of Team Galactic and thereby lost his life. And then there was Reggie, the last person he would have suspected to turn out as weak as the rest of them. That one loss against Pyramid King Brandon was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back, the final reason that made Paul into a cold-hearted Trainer with extremely high standards and expectations. To think, he once idolized him, but that was all in his past. He was independent since his family was weak. He led himself to his future when they could not guide him.

It was precisely midnight in Agate Village. The populace had retired quickly, needing the rest they richly deserved after the startling invasion from Reverse-Cipher. Even by now, Dusknoir and Hypno were asleep by the Relic Stone, promising to guard the sacred monument with their lives since their purification. The moon was full, watching over the now peaceful forest village with its wistful gaze. The ambience was rather celestial as the moon was joined by several twinkling stars in the night sky. Near the wooden bridge that led out of it, Paul stood watching over the cold, dark horizon south from where he stood. He was on the final hill, the last obstacle in his way to search for himself. The desert nights did not bother him much. It was not because he had the powers of Darkrai swirling within his body. Instead, it gave him comfort, knowing that through the bitter, icy loneliness of the night, there was some sort of warmth hidden within. He just had to find it, to work for it as always. Every surrounding of Agate Village was silent. Even the river and waterfall snored in tranquility. Paul ultimately knew what he had to do.

_I'll stop them myself if it comes to that_, Paul thought, continually staring into the boundless horizon with a melancholic look in his black eyes. He opened his mouth and exhaled, feeling the warmth of his breath isolated within the cold atmosphere. He took a step forward, a step closer to being free from the ones who held him back for so long.

_Are you sure you want to do this?_ a mysterious, yet temperate voice asked within Paul's mind. The surly Trainer knew who was speaking to him at a time like this. There was no being on the outside world like Paul, but there were two beings inside his body. There was him and the dark lunar Pokémon.

_You know it as well as I do, Darkrai_, Paul replied in his head for the Pitch-Black Pokémon to understand. _I've made this decision out of all the fact presented in the past. I'm stopping Reverse-Cipher myself._

_What about me?_ Darkrai queried.

_As long as we both don't agree on breaking that Aura Fusion, your powers are still mine to command_, Paul explained, closing his eyes wistfully. _You can't stop me. No one can._

_I can feel your inner regrets, from both the past and the present_, Darkrai spoke with a satiating growl. _And while they are delicious to me, it's not good for you to keep your emotions bottled up all the time._

_Just get to the point, Darkrai_, Paul demanded impatiently, sneering. _We're wasting moonlight._

_Whether you like it or not, you've come to accept Ash and Anabel as your second family_, Darkrai explained rather sagaciously. The Pitch-Black Pokémon heard him sigh; he was right. _Even with their bothersome imperfections of romance and foolishness, you've come to tolerate them and admire them who they are. You've been alone, even when you still had an older brother on this mortal realm. Are you sure you want all of them behind? _Paul's breathing rate was regular. Paul looked down to the lush green ground with a forlorn gaze. Darkrai's reckoning, no matter how logical and sentimental they sounded to him, no longer mattered to him. He made up his mind. He was going to leave tonight and take on Reverse-Cipher by himself. He never trusted anyone to help him nor did he expect anyone to save him. Paul did all the action. It was time for him to make another independent move. Darkrai's presence faded back within the confines of his soul; the reasoning having failed to change his stubborn mind.

"Where do you think you're going, Paul?" a different, familiar voice demanded lightly. Paul grimaced, wishing he had left sooner when his snores overtook all other noises in the village.

"What do you think, _Ash_?" Paul replied, hissing his name in acid. He turned around to face his rival fully dressed, but was missing his hat on his head, his Pikachu on his shoulder, and his lilac-haired maiden by his arms. "So, you're all alone?"

"No, I left Pikachu and Anabel to sleep because this matter's now in _my_ hands," Ash explained, his tone rather curt and expression serious. "However, I _did_ take the rest of my Pokémon with me… just in case." Paul sneered, no longer amused by his games. "You didn't think I was going to let you leave without a fight, huh?"

"You couldn't hold your own against those Admins," Paul began, growing a smirk by the side of his face. "What makes you think that you can actually hold your own against _me_?"

"That was then… and this is now," Ash stated darkly, unclipping two Poké Balls and prepared to toss them in the air. Paul was not amused by his rashness now, nor was he ever impressed by his critical faults. "Lucario and Tyranitar, I choose you!" Both of his Pokémon materialized out from their Poké Balls with fearsome grunts, each taking a side next to their Trainer for their greatest mission yet. "We're not letting you go. Don't you even remember the Divine Prophecy Cresselia kept advising us about?"

"Hmph, a descendent of the Hero of the Wave accompanied by a maiden and a 'foe once mean'?" Paul condescended, once again infuriating his brash rival and his two loyal Pokémon. His contemptuous smirk fell into a grim scowl as he took out two of his own Pokémon to counter Ash's. "Screw that damned prophecy! _I_ make my_ own _destiny! Weavile and Aggron, stand by for battle!"

Paul had changed his team lineup earlier, opting to switch out Ursaring for Aggron upon calling Reggie. He had a feeling he was going to need a resilient Steel-type for the journey into the unknown sands of the Orre region. However, he did not think he would use Aggron's abilities this early on. Then again, it was never too early to start anything at all, considering the matters pertaining to Reverse-Cipher. After all, it has been a while since he and Ash last battled each other.

* * *

**So what have we learned from this chapter? The Tag battle became the final straw for Paul, Ardos viciously ate a rare Tauros steak and was not satisfied enough with its blood, and now Paul's abandoning the trio for his own reasons. If you all recall the strangely wise words of Dr. Kaminko at the end of Chapter Eight, you'd realize that he had foreshadowed the tension that would break apart the group. This is only the first step of the drama so brace yourselves.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	22. Defection

**You know, while I was planning out how Ash and Paul's rematch was going to turn out and end, I was also listening to "Requiem for a Dream" (Lux Aeterna) by Clint Mansell. If I could have made a visual preview of this battle, then I would have used a dramatic and epic instrumental such as the aforementioned piece. It's really funny, but then again I haven't looked into other songs that could describe the current tension between Ash and Paul now. The latter wants to leave the heroes behind for his enigmatic reasons, and only Ash could stop him if they were to stand a chance against Reverse-Cipher. But I'll let you see the total outcome for yourself.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

It had been over a week since they arrived in Ilex Forest. Their main mission was very simple to describe, yet very difficult to achieve. More than seven days that they had spent in the extra dark forest, they significantly diminished the number of Pokémon infected with the contagious ShadowPokérus with their functional Purification Gauntlets. The majority of the Shadow Pokémon in the forest was part of the vicious Murkrow flock that seized control of the forest in the darkness. The Shadow Honchkrow leader and its remaining followers fled each day they lost a number of the Darkness Pokémon to the steadfast efforts of Ash's friends in Johto. May, Max, Dawn, and Kenny held tough. With the unlikeliest assistance from Barry and Kamon, their progress had shot up much quicker than before due to their powerful tactics and expertise. But by this night, it seemed as though Honchkrow had finally stopped fleeing deep into the forest and remained to fight for its blind corruption and survival. It had lost its entire flock within the past week. The purified Murkrow were watched over and cared for by Nurse Joy and her Chansey in the Ilex Forest Pokémon Center. They had all built up immunity against the artificial, altered virus while retaining the magnificent power boosts granted since it was still a variation of the Pokérus. Honchkrow was finally alone, but that only motivated the Big Boss Pokémon to tenaciously fight for its distorted self-preservation even more.

It was well over midnight throughout the entire Johto region. The final haunt had begun. Honchkrow was discovered flying up north past the Pokémon Center in the heart of the forest. If it was allowed to escape up the route and into Goldenrod City, disaster would strike all over again. The chase ensued. May, Dawn, and Kenny remained at its shadowy tail, sprinting in between several trees and passing the peculiar forest shrine dedicated to the benevolent green guardian. Fortunately for the shrine, it was not a target for Honchkrow's Shadow Wave. Several other trees and floral habitats to the normal wild Pokémon hiding within were attacked. The Big Boss Pokémon was testing the three Coordinators' hearts on whether they would stop and ensure the safety of precious life for the frightened Pokémon. Its insidious plan worked as the weaker-willed fell away to tend to the hurt little creatures, starting with Dawn and eventually with May. With only Kenny chasing after it, Honchkrow would easily overwhelm the young brown-haired Coordinator upon cornering him.

"Krow!" Honchkrow screeched at its stop, charging up a Dark Pulse in the center of its white beard-like collar. Kenny froze from trepidation, unable to comprehend the terrible power that was about to strike him if he did not act quickly. May and Dawn were left behind due to their caring and nurturing hearts; as much as they did not want to let Honchkrow get away with such cruel misdemeanors, they simply felt obligated to help those in desperate need. "Hooooonch—!"

_Oh, man… This is it!_ Kenny thought, completely paralyzed by the feeling terror Honchkrow implanted into his body upon the release of its horrendous black cry into the dark, obstructed sky. _Where in the world are they?!_

"Feraligatr, Hydro Cannon! Now!"

"Empoleon, you use Hydro Cannon, too!"

"Sceptile, use Frenzy Plant!"

Kenny was finally able to breathe again. The backup plan had worked. While he, May, and Dawn tried to keep Honchkrow distracted by allowing it to think that it slowed them down by attacking the innocent, Kamon, Barry, and Max had taken the shortcut up ahead and intercepted the Big Boss Pokémon before it could have fled out of the forest. The moment those three attacks were called out, Honchkrow found out that it was led on by the group of young Trainers. The first Hydro Cannon was launched by Kamon's Feraligatr hidden within the darkness of the trees behind it. The concentrated water sphere, though its aim was slightly off by a few centimeters, had greatly injured Honchkrow's left wing upon contact.

"Honch!" Honchkrow cried with its beak left wide open in distress. The Big Boss Pokémon's horrifying red eyes bulged out from the sharp pain of its wound. It could not stabilize its location in the air, leaving it completely vulnerable to another Hydro Cannon upon direct contact to its chest, courtesy of Barry's Empoleon. "Honch-krow…!" Honchkrow groaned from the resulting explosion from the collision against the powerful Water attack. It had no chance of keeping the false promises of power the ShadowPokérus had cursed upon it. It would soon realize its folly as Sceptile leapt out from the shadows of the forest and confronted it for one final attack.

"Scep-_tile_!" Sceptile shouted with all its might, exuding a potent green glow from its large body. Feeling Max's stanch confidence swelling from within its being, the Forest Pokémon slammed its palms upon the forest terrain and summoned several tree roots that sprung right up and whipped the weakened Honchkrow right out of the air. The Big Boss Pokémon never stood a chance against such teamwork from a couple of young Trainers and Coordinators. They all executed their plan quite successfully. Without its Shadow flock to back it up, Honchkrow had no chance of conquering more lands in the name of Reverse-Cipher.

"Poké Ball, attack!" Kamon yelled, suddenly throwing an empty Poké Ball at the beaten Honchkrow in the air. The Poké Ball bounced off it and opened up, siphoning the Big Boss Pokémon into its containment unit from its conversion into red energy. It closed up tightly with Honchkrow inside and fell onto the soft earth. Kamon, Max, Barry, and Kenny observed the progress of the Poké Ball keeping Honchkrow inside as it warbled about slowly and its center blinked red a few times. A high-pitched drone sounded off and the Poké Ball stopped moving.

"Awesome job, Kamon!" Barry exclaimed, impulsively trying to hug his dark, red-haired idol with his eyes closed, only to realize that he left his spot to pick up Honchkrow's Poké Ball. "Kamon…? Oof!" The blond-haired Trainer fell on his stomach upon the realization.

"Why'd you capture Honchkrow?" Max asked, his tone sounding rather upset over the matter. Kamon glanced at him skeptically, imperturbably spinning the Poké Ball on his index finger. "It's still a Shadow Pokémon. I've learned from Professor Krane that Shadow Pokémon have no real Original Trainer records because something about the Shadow condition messes with the Poké Ball's internal records."

"Well, it's currently under _my _possession," Kamon replied coolly, glaring at the annoying little know-it-all. "And thanks to that blue-haired girl offering me those fancy gloves of yours, I can purify this Honchkrow now that it's been sufficiently weakened." Max's right eye twitched beneath his gleaming glasses. The youngest Trainer merely turned away in a huff.

"What if _I_ wanted that Honchkrow?" Max mumbled irately, folding his arms and curling himself up. Kenny attempted to comfort the young Trainer with a friendly pat on the shoulder while Kamon continued spinning Honchkrow's Poké Ball on his finger.

"Sorry, but you snooze, you lose, kid," Kamon shrugged, catching the Poké Ball in his palm and putting it away. Max snorted, lifting his head back up with only one idea to annoy and get back at him for stealing his chance for Honchkrow.

"You know what? With the addition of Honchkrow, you resemble Paul a lot closer now."

"I told you to stop comparing me to that _carbon copy_! _I_ had the harder life! After all, that blond, stalking wimp blabbed about my entire past to you over a week ago, remember?"

"Yeah! Kamon's the coolest!" Barry cheered, immediately grabbing the dark Trainer with both of his arms to give him the hug he deserved. "There's nothing better than the original guy who came up with the hardcore battle strategies, that's for sure!" Kamon's face began to twitch violently as he attempted to pry himself out from his number one fan's grip. He had better be glad that neither May, Dawn, or both were not around to see Barry rubbing his head against his favorite black jacket that he might have to burn later on.

"Ay…," Max and Kenny sighed, rather disturbed from the worship scene.

* * *

_Pokémon Trainer Paul would like to battle!_

The entire population of Agate Village was fast asleep, save it for the two powerful individuals that were about to clash near the entrance of the tranquil forest village. The frosty ambience of the desert night affected neither young Trainer. Their fierce resolves to defeat the other gave them some sort of warmth, allowing them to ignore the rather chilly conditions while focusing on the inevitable rematch. On one side with a foot almost out of the village was the purple-haired, bitter young man who needed to search for what was right for him in the world. The other young man was determined to prevent him from leaving the team behind. The Trainer with the messy black hair may not say it much, but he valued his grudging ally as a powerful asset and possibly more. Ash knew how stubborn and distant Paul had been since they have known each other, but he could not help but feel as though he needed his respect just as he gave him.

"It's been a while since our last fight," Paul remarked darkly. A dark shade of wind erupted from around his body. His hair flowed upward like a wisp of smoke, which was a similar trait to a Pokémon that Ash managed to fuse into his soul. "You can't stop me this time from doing what I'm supposed to do."

"If you mean taking Reverse-Cipher down, then you should stay with us," Ash pleaded, his tone remained calm. Lucario and Tyranitar narrowed their sights on Paul, curling themselves into battle stances if there was no other way. "Reconsider this and I _won't_ have to battle you."

"Hmph, like you still stand a chance since your performance against the Admins?" Paul sneered, folding his arms across his chest as Weavile and Aggron moved in front of him with intimidating stances. "You're better off trying to break my arms."

"I'll break _every_ bone in your body if it has come to that!" Ash declared openly, resolutely pointing upon his surly rival. A cold moment fell upon the two Trainers, ending with a creeping smirk from Paul.

"Alright then, since I've made the big mistake of giving you ideas," Paul started, his expression read as though he was amused by his defiant act. "If you insist on making a fool out of yourself again, I'll humor you. Since we're battling in the Orre region, we'll play by its Double battle rules instead of our standard regulations for a Three-on-Three battle. Only this time, there will be a twist."

"Which is…?"

"This will be a no-holds bar match, an anything-goes in words even _you_ can understand," Paul explained, extending his arms out and placed them by their sides. Ash merely gazed at him with burning fury in his auburn eyes. "Still lost? What I mean is Pokémon versus Pokémon… and Trainer versus Trainer." The mere implication of what the extra twist held completely threw Ash by surprise. The stakes were high, no doubt. Perhaps Paul wanted to see if he could hurt him just enough to make him stay. He knew his resentful rival was deadly serious most of the time, but if Ash was ever going to stand a chance and force him to stay, he had to play by his rules and show that he was the better Trainer _and_ the better man.

"I guess this is unavoidable," Ash mumbled, glancing at his eager Pokémon. "Lucario, Tyranitar, you guys ready?"

Both of his Pokémon grunted readily, their fists tightening. Lucario's paws were vibrating in an ethereal blue aura, which was somewhat similar to that of a Blaziken's wrists when facing a formidable opponent. The Aura Pokémon had a habit of creating such a forceful display ever since it mastered control over aura as a hatched Riolu back at Iron Island. Ash still gave Riley credit for helping him train such an obedient, yet essential Pokémon for seven months. Tyranitar, on the other hand, exhibited its power with a mild conjure of desert sand by an invisible force around its feet. The amazing power of the Armor Pokémon could only be described by its unique ability, Sand Stream. In Ash's impressed eyes, Tyranitar had come a long way from home as once a crybaby that once feared humans into a confident brawler with much potential yet to be unlocked. However, he also had to thank another person for their growth through his tough regiment and persistent desire for perfection, which was why he chose them out of his other Pokémon to convince _him_ to stay.

"You can have the first move, Ash," Paul announced. Weavile and Aggron crouched and leered, preparing to anticipate and counter their opponents' tactics. "Which will it be?"

"This!" Ash declared, casting his open hand forward precisely upon Paul's direction. Paul sneered and allowed Darkrai's powers to take hold in a freezing gale, expecting a volatile Aura Sphere launched from Ash's open palm, but instead he noticed that the young Aura Guardian's hand trembled. His open palm turned into curled fist pointing outward in Paul's direction. "Ugh… Lucario, Bone Rush on Weavile! Tyranitar, use Hidden Power on Aggron!"

"Rah!" Lucario grunted, sprinting forward towards the Sharp Claw Pokémon with his green aura bone staff in hands. The Aura Pokémon charged in, nearing a distance of a few feet with Weavile with the top end of his staff hanging on his right shoulder. At the meantime, two rings composed of glowing spheres orbited around Tyranitar's head in an X formation, compacting all together swiftly in front of its jaws for a potent beam promptly fired at Aggron. Both of Paul's Pokémon stood their ground against the looming attacks, waiting for further orders from their dark Trainer.

"Aggron, Iron Defense! Weavile, use Swords Dance to dodge!"

"Gron!" Aggron bellowed, bracing its arms up in front of its face. Its entire body gleamed brightly under the midnight moonlight. Its gray and silver iron-plated body glimmered even brighter upon receiving the concentrated beam of Tyranitar's Hidden Power colliding upon its arms. "Ag-g-g-gron…" For some reason, the Iron Armor Pokémon had trouble dealing with the attack and Paul immediately knew why.

_Oh, that's right_, Paul thought upon the realization, biting down hard on his teeth with a rumbling growl in his throat. _The attributes of Tyranitar's Hidden Power are equivalent to that of a Fighting-type move._ The attack was still searing against Aggron's defenses, but it looked like it still had everything under control. As Paul shifted glance upon the progress of his Weavile, he observed the Sharp Claw Pokémon nimbly evading Lucario's strikes as it powered its own attack strength up from the exercise. Its claws were still extended and glowing a dark violet color.

"Raaaaah!" Lucario roared, frustrated from unable to land a hit on the wily Weavile. He did not give up however and spun his staff several times to throw off Weavile's timing. "Ru! Rah! Ru! Rah!" Weavile continued to taunt the Aura Pokémon with its agile size and movements, but its own arrogance eventually became its own undoing. Lucario narrowed his eyes and smirked, sweeping the green bone staff along the ground and tripped Weavile off its foot.

"Wea…," Weavile groaned with its back against the cold grass, the looming shadow of Lucario cast over it under the moonlight. "Wea!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon rolled back before Lucario gave the final strike of his staff on the ground. The bone staff dissipated into thin air; the Bone rush was over.

"Lucario, go after Weavile with ExtremeSpeed!"

"Ru!" Lucario grunted, disappearing into a blue blur. Weavile froze in place after its escape from Bone Rush, unable to comprehend the Aura Pokémon's exact location. "Rah!" With the startling roar, Lucario gained the advantage over Weavile and tackled it hard, much to Paul's increasing chagrin.

"Don't take that lying down! Blizzard!"

"Wea-viiiiile!" Weavile shouted, releasing a blustery gale of frigid snowballs from its mouth that completely immobilized Lucario in the intense bitter cold. The fact that he was dueling during the cold desert nighttime did not help the situation as the Aura Pokémon started to sneeze gruffly within the wintry barrage of merciless power. "Vile!" Weavile increased the tempo of its Blizzard with a ferocious screech, leaving absolutely no escape for Lucario to liberate himself from.

"Tyranitar, help Lucario with your Sand Stream!"

With a zealous nod, Tyranitar stomped towards the shiver Lucario with an unyielding look on its tough face. Its stomps had whipped up a small dust storm following its tail, gradually interfering and counteracting the Blizzard's wind with its polar opposite properties of hot, searing sand as Tyranitar neared closer. Because of Lucario's tough spirit and body as a Steel-type, he had no problems with the Sandstorm assistance from his older partner. They definitely made a powerful combination and team together as far as anyone was concerned. The abrupt Sandstorm took over the Blizzard and eradicated it. Weavile had covered itself with its own arms, protecting the rest of its body from the irksome sand. It was not even concerned over the fact that it was now double-teamed by both Lucario and Tyranitar.

"Aggron, use Iron Head on Tyranitar!"

"Ag-gron!" Aggron roared, storming towards the Armor Pokémon blazing in a silver aura. The Iron Armor Pokémon rammed its radiating head onto Tyranitar's side, horns and all. Tyranitar was forcibly shoved to the side and onto its stomach, its side slightly cracked upon the critical impact of the super effective strike.

"Tyranitar, you okay?!" Ash asked, frustrated and concerned. With Tyranitar down, the Sandstorm disappeared without a trace. Lucario was the only one facing two Pokémon this time around. The Aura Pokémon felt their sinister glares sear against his steely hide and soul, yet he remained strong and stood tall on his feet.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere on Aggron!"

"Ruuuuu…!" Lucario growled, charging the vibrating blue sphere in his hands. The bright, spiritual blue energy shone out through the darkness; the fascinating light startled both Aggron and Weavile. "Rah!" With a hasty grunt, Lucario tossed the Aura Sphere straight into Aggron's abdomen. The Iron Armor Pokémon reeled back and fell over, feeling Lucario's potent aura easily piercing through its supposedly perfect defenses. With one down and avenging his partner, there left the rather panicking Weavile to take out. Lucario smirked, resuming a battle stance and waited for his Trainer's word.

"That's it!" Ash cheered, throwing a fist into the air. "Now go after Weavile with—Whoa!" A Dark Pulse sailed past his head, interrupting his command. The young Aura Guardian saw that Paul was the one who launched the Dark Pulse out of his steaming hands; the scowling latter was snarling intensely, breathing heavily over his pathetic miss.

"Did you forget the twist already?" Paul inquired, his tone apparently taunting. Ash recalled that he was using Darkrai's powers; Paul was truly serious about leaving the team behind, even if that meant attacking the young Aura Guardian himself when his guard was down. "Even the Trainer gets to fight in this battle. _En Gardé_!" Another round of their rematch was added. Next to the lingering round between Ash's Lucario and Paul's Weavile, their Trainers had begun their own confrontation.

Paul had fired another Dark Pulse out of his hands. This time, Ash was ready and ducked under his Dark attack. He quickly rolled away and stood back up, launching miniature Aura Spheres from the palms of his fingerless-gloved hands at Paul. The surly rival, however, destroyed the volatile blue spheres with another round of Dark Pulse, smirking at their pathetic strength and resilience. This was turning out to be quite the battle of aura; the legendary noble aura of the heroic Sir Aaron in the hands of his young heir pitted against the uncontrollable darkness of the legendary Pitch-Black Pokémon combined with the willpower of a serious young man. His powerful tactics did not surprise Ash, however. He knew that his grudging, rebelling teammate would knock away all other attacks with his great brute strength. Yet while Paul's offensive strategy was pretty much predictable, it did not ensure a victory as one hit from him would possibly be a game over. Ash continued to run and evade for his life, Dark Pulse after Dark Pulse. Many attempts at getting closer to him and use Aura Sphere to knock him out had blown up in his face as Paul was completely relentless with his barrage.

_When is he going to let up?_ Ash mused, unable to find an opening in Paul's brutal defenses. Another row of Dark Pulse was launched; this time, it seared against Ash's right side. "Ow…! Damn…" The dark rings sliced through both his shirt and a bit of his flesh; the stinging sensation was harsh enough to make him swear for the first time. It was fortunate for Ash that he built up much tolerance to attacks throughout his journey, no matter how gory they dealt to his body. Yet the effective hit from Dark Pulse had another side effect on the young Aura Guardian. A surge of confidence and power had suddenly swelled from within. His aura from within urged him to continue, to never give up. Ash had recalled one of the most fundamental attributes to many aura users, ranging from Lucario to human Aura Guardians altogether. _The higher the risk, the higher the return…_ His aura vibrated and shimmered around his mortal body, taking hold of his senses. Even Paul could feel the rise of an inner power in his upbeat rival swirling around his downed body as an invisible tornado.

"What _is_ he…?" Paul asked himself in a whisper, palpably astounded by the great power Ash had held back. "No more games. I'm going to personally end this _now_!" With a furious war yell, he charged in upon his recovering opponent with the intent of brutally finishing him off and ultimately proving to him how powerless he truly was. Ash quickly stood back up and remained stationary for Paul's approach, his head lowered. "Are you mocking _me_?!" The Veilstone Trainer was not entirely fond of Ash's current position as that of a lifeless statue with his head lowered. He held his hands out, forming two Dark Pulses in his palms for a staggering close-ranged shot. However, just before Paul could strike his dark-burning hands into Ash's chest, the latter appeared to have woken up from his aura trance and swiftly seized both of his wrists, cancelling out his forming Dark Pulses. "What?!"

"You're not going to win this battle if you can't win your other battles," Ash said, his tone somber and rather influential. His body was emanating his legendary aura; his mastery and control over it was nearly flawless. Paul struggled to free his arms, but in return received blue electrocutions from his rival's aura.

"What… do you mean by 'other battles'?" Paul asked, straining to speak through the suffering Ash was sending throughout his body with his aura. "What are you talking… about?"

"This," Ash replied quietly, letting go of Paul's left wrist for mobility of his own right hand. For some reason, Paul lost the feeling in his left arm, unable to strike Ash as he extended his right index finger and tapped Paul's forehead. A bright spark of blue light had erupted from the touch, originating upon the center of his forehead. Paul was beginning to feel something he had not experienced since his first day as a Trainer, fear. The light overtook both young men, even startling both Lucario and Weavile. But as much as the Aura Pokémon wanted to help Ash, he could not be rid of the bothersome Weavile distracting him. Whatever Ash had done to his renegade rival, both of them remained rooted upon their spot while their bodies emitted a sort of mystical blue glow.

* * *

Ash opened his eyes. His current surroundings were no longer representing Agate Village, as far as he knew. He felt rather weightless in this new, empty space he had appeared in. The entire ambience, if described by a color, was dark blue. The color itself represented a sort of personality, and one rather familiar to the young Aura Guardian. It was mysterious, yet oppressive. It gave off a tough, callous front while all the more concealing terrible secrets. It felt dull and unexciting, but arrogant at the same time. Ash could not believe it actually worked. Being a descendent of the royal family in Kanto, even though his own mother severed their ties, he mastered his control over his aura through great offensive and defensive means. This only meant he could not have been able to use _this_ technique, much less uphold it for more than a few minutes.

"I've entered Paul's mind," Ash surmised to himself in awe. Listening to the tales Anabel told him that she heard from Rui, Ash learned that the aura technique for entering another's mind and reading their memories would have been better suited for the Aura Guardians from the Hoenn capacity branch. "But while I'm here, I might as well make the most of it." There was no one else around in the spacious dark blue dimension. However, in the next few seconds, two black voids materialized out of nowhere right in front of him within the dark blue space. "Who's there?"

"Who do you think?" a familiar cold voice replied, not amused at the slightest. From the portal on his left, Paul had emerged with the same scowl he displayed for all of his pictures. "What the hell are you doing in my mind?"

"Paul…," Ash began, sounding rather discouraged. "Why…? Why do you want to leave us?" Paul rolled his eyes indifferently as he hovered closer to the intruder in his mind, his arms folded across his chest. Before he could answer, another voice came in and answered in a rather benevolent, yet still gruff voice.

"_A personal journey…_"

"Who was that?" Ash asked quickly, discovering the mysterious new voice to have originated out of the second black portal on his right. His answer had emerged out of the void in the form of Darkrai, in all of his dark and nightmarish glory. "Darkrai!"

"Forget him," Paul interrupted, but lowered his head meekly. "But he _was_ right about one thing…"

"But why a journey, _now_, of all days?!" Ash queried, his tone completely disbelieving. "Didn't you say to me earlier that you wanted to stop Reverse-Cipher yourself?" Paul sighed calmly, hovering slowly around him in an even pace with a look of remorseful contemplation on his hardened tan face.

"How could _you_ ever hope to understand my situation? I've already told you my story, and I _don't_ like repeating myself twice. How could you be sure that what you're doing with your Pokémon is right? Faith and encourage are not enough if you don't have the _power_ to back them up. How could—?"

"Enough with the cryptic riddles!" Ash shouted, exasperatedly placing his hands on his head and massaged his frustrated temples. "I'm not a big fan of mind games. Just tell me what I need from you. Why do you want to leave me and Anabel when you know it'll take all three of us to take them down _together_?!"

"Listen and listen well," Paul sighed with a sharp exhale. Darkrai floated next to him, observing his responses with a bright and narrowed blue eye. "After the semifinal loss _you_ handed to me in the Sinnoh Conference, I did a lot of thinking… about both my tactics and my treatment to my Pokémon. I absolutely _hate_ running into impasses, which was why I sought after you the following month later. I needed answers… and what did I see? I found y_ou_ slacking off with a useless Frontier Brain with an insatiable appetite for romance, _that's_ what!"

"Why are you blaming Anabel for this now?!" Ash interrupted, his anger flaring upon his invectives towards his close friend and lover. "What did she ever do to you?"

"She ruined a powerful rival for me! _That's_ what she did!" Paul retorted with an icy hatred that easily overwhelmed Ash's own anger. The young Aura Guardian remained silent, unable to fully comprehend what Paul just said to him. His astounded expression, however, was readable. "That's right. You _had_ my respect since the Sinnoh Conference. Wasn't that you've been fighting for all this time, since your journey in Sinnoh?"

"Paul…," Ash started, falling into a loss of words. Darkrai looked at him curiously. Ash's mouth remained agape and his head lowered, still trying to process the fact that he _did_ recognize him for the strong Pokémon Trainer he truly was. He knew that Paul preferred having stronger opponents as rivals while he told and convinced himself that he was indeed in the same level of skill and strength as the surly Veilstone Trainer was.

"Ash, you never knew how much disdain I held towards _her_," Paul explained, hissing his last word in bitter acid. "That annoying fan group that you called your 'friends' was already bad enough. But with Anabel around you like a Murkrow to a carcass, as strong and competent as she was a Trainer, I wanted to wring her frail, pale neck with my bare hands and tell her off that she was a _goddamned whore_ in front of her sickly face for distracting and diluting your potential." Ash did not say anything. It was not his place to say anything. He was in Paul's mind, listening in to his deep thoughts as he wanted. His only regret was barging in on him like this, but something still did not seem right to him.

"Paul, if you really didn't like Anabel, then why have you not done away with her by now?" Ash asked, his tone sounding rather humble. Paul remained silent this time around, merely looking into his eyes with an ever serious expression carved into his hollow black eyes. It was only until he received a nudge from Darkrai that got him to speak his true mind and inner motives.

"Because… I wanted you to prove me wrong," Paul mumbled, bowing his head in humility. Ash was completely taken aback from his answer, especially since he confirmed his confirmed his honesty with a lowered head. "You were one of the very few Trainers that still stood up against me with that foolish notion of friendship and love. You weren't discouraged by my horrible responses. You've gone far enough of even trying to convince me to be a better Trainer for my Pokémon's sake. If Anabel was able to bring such power out of you, I figured I would at least see it for myself. But so far, I've seen no such displays."

"Well it's better than what Cyrus tried to force down your throat."

"Maybe… Maybe not… However, it's gotten me far since the beginning of my journey, and I'm not about to change my ways for some imaginary concept with no real proof of its power."

"You can't expect everything to happen within one day. You need patience!"

"Hmph, I wouldn't be talking about patience if I were you," Paul remarked, slowly turning away from him. "Since allowing your own emotions have governed you into nothing but trouble, I don't see any reason why I _should_ stay with you and do things your way. I'm going out to deal with Reverse-Cipher _myself_… while searching for myself."

"Paul…," Ash whispered, undoubtedly disheartened by his cold response. There really was no way to hold him back. "Paul, I really do care about you. You would have been a better Trainer if you treated your Pokémon better and had a better attitude doing it."

"And I wanted to mold _you_ into a perfect rival," Paul replied without even facing him. "But we can't always get what we want, now can we? The only reason I forced you to break it off with Anabel because I know you still had potential, even though you had reached becoming the greatest Trainer of this generation. You still have a lot of good years in you. Do you want to know why I know this?"

"Why?" Ash asked, despondent. Darkrai shifted glances upon both humans and narrowed his eyes on Paul. The Pitch-Black Pokémon had a feeling he was going to confess this before he left Agate Village.

"You are… my _friend_," Paul whispered in a shudder. Of all the truths he had unloaded upon Ash, this one was most worthy of incredulity. Ash looked as though he was stricken into a coma. His eyes were wide and pupils dilated into an inert state of unconsciousness. His bottom jaw nearly fell off. He seriously could not have believed his own ears, even if he was at a close distance upon hearing it. He had even forgotten about the desire Paul had to call Anabel a whore upon the astonishing revelation. After all the times his rival had asserted that they were not friends, deep down Ash's kind heart had eventually reached out to him. Like the ambience of his dark mind was expressed, he kept a tough, callous front, but hid a soft heart trembling in horrible memories of his past. "Darkrai?" Ash turned his head towards Darkrai, who was forming a Dark Void in his hands.

"_I'm sorry_," Darkrai muttered before tossing it at Ash. The black and crimson sphere engulfed him, expelling him out of Paul's mind with another effect.

* * *

"I'll be willing to call this rematch a draw," Paul muttered to the sleeping body of his rival. They were both outside his mind and back in consciousness in Agate Village. Both his Lucario and Tyranitar had fallen asleep around their loyal Trainer under Darkrai's spell. Paul had discovered the both of them to be triumphant over his own Pokémon. In a way, both he and Ash won and lost the rematch; the former defeated the latter, but his Pokémon fell to Ash's. Ash, Lucario, and Tyranitar were not suffering from nightmares, the ability having been repressed by Paul's iron will. "But know that the next time we meet, I won't be so merciful."

With a forlorn sigh, Paul turned on his heel and left for the only exit to the forest village. The night was still cold. The stars and full moon radiated and watched over the village from the heavens above. Their celestial gazes were not necessary to protect his rival and friend. Paul already knew that he was strong enough to fend for himself while he began his own journey into the wild sands of the Orre region. However, Ash was just not strong enough as far as he was concerned. He still had a long way to go; titles meant nothing now. He had his own strengths and abilities to fend for himself now. Not even Anabel could save him this time. This was a harsh sabbatical for both Ash and Paul to individually find their own weaknesses and redeem themselves in their own personal journeys. They had their own ideals, their own goals, and their own views of life. Even though a battle was what brought those two rivals together, this battle had finally broken them apart. Paul had severed his ties to the trio and left to make his own destiny with Darkrai's help, as long as they remained fused together. Ash was alone on the cold, unforgiving grass, asleep and injured. He never planned ahead on what he was going to do, only stressing over the large mission humanity had placed onto his capable shoulders. But as far as he or Anabel knew, they all still had a long way to go.

* * *

"And that wraps up the tale for Day Three!" Anabel exclaimed, standing out of her chair and stretched her arms up. It was already deep into the evening. Grandma Delia had already finished cooking dinner for the small family. Lila and Leon followed their mother in her stretching routine. Having been enraptured by the longest tale so far, they nearly forgot about caring for their own bodies.

"Man, the guy whose name I have is so conflicted," Leon commented, twisting his back while listening to several audible cracks as he switched directions, much to his sister's and mother's vexation. "Does that mean I'll grow up with a conflicted nature too?"

"Personally, I hope not," Anabel giggled. "He _was_ pretty hard to get along with."

"So when did you and Dad… _yawn_… make up with him?" Lila yawned, rubbing her eyes to remain awake. Her normally vibrant eyes were becoming drowsy, her eyelids dropping down involuntarily.

"I'm afraid that's for another day," Anabel replied with a bright smile. However, her children had not noticed that her smile was dropping into a worrisome expression. Her lilac eyes shimmered unhappily at the next thought that came to her mind. _That is assuming I can get through tomorrow's tale…_

* * *

**I'm not sure if the rematch between Ash and Paul was long and sufficient enough. But then again, their rivalry is very tense. They don't plan on toying around. Anyway, here's a little bit of trivia. Kamon's lines of "battle standby" and "Poké Ball, attack" were the literally Japanese translations of Shinji's lines. Since I considered the Japanese as the original and the best to watch episodes from even though I could barely understand what the characters are saying, Kamon deserved the originality. Another tidbit if you hadn't picked up on is a sort of play-on-words. If you recall the word "coma" during the scene in Paul's mind, it was a reference to the homosexual relationship between Ash and Paul, called "ComaShipping." I'm not interested in such pairings and I mean no offense to those who **_**do**_** support them, but I figured that using that technique would cement their secret friendship. If you can find out more about where I received my inspirations for making the chapter aside from _Lux Aeterna_, please let me know. I'm curious of your own findings.**

**Anyway, the tension-filled drama still doesn't end there. Kaminko's words hold true for the **_**entire**_** group, not just between Ash and Paul. You'll see what I mean later… **

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback on this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	23. Realization

**Yes, I'm sure many of you did not expect that Paul considered himself Ash's friend. During the journey through Sinnoh, I guess I thought that Ash really wanted his approval and respect and as of this late, he deserved it. Well, as some of you have might or might not have guessed, I will update at least three more times before leaving for college. As a reminder, I will leave on the 21****st**** of August so I will pick up the pace a bit for some extra rest. However, after all of these constant and quick updates, I feel like I am finally running low on steam.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The fourth day slowly dawned upon Pallet Town with the bright sun rising from the east and a few puffy clouds were gathering together, which meant that there were only three days left before they would officially age up to ten years and leave to see the grand world for themselves. Lila and Leon Ketchum were ecstatic now more than ever about creating their own destinies while listening to the past fates of their mother and missing father. Their mother was currently in the kitchen with Grandma Delia as early as they were, preparing breakfast together as always. Pikachu and Espeon were caring for their new eggs in the backyard, having been given their food much earlier. Delia had gone out for groceries yesterday, restoring their extra supplies of food and other necessities to last the family for another week. Though right around next week, they would not have to spend much as there would be two mouths less to feed.

"Quick, in here," Lila whispered, waving her hand and signaling her brother to join her in the shadow of the kitchen doorway. Leon tiptoed quite stealthily without much sound from the floorboards due to his light weight, but he made sure he did not bump into any furniture along the way. Lila peered a bit through the doorway; her mother and grandmother were none the wiser. "Quickly, Leon!"

"Don't rush me," Leon mumbled harshly through his teeth. His sister pouted, upset by the emotion of his answer. Due to his rather inferior complex as the younger sibling, Leon felt rather regretful from a glance at his sister's irritation. "Sorry, sis, but you really need to chill out."

"And you two need to learn how to hide your anxieties better," Anabel's voice advised playfully, much to their huge surprise. They heard her soft footsteps coming over to them, tapping upon the tile kitchen floor. The little, humorous scheme they were supposedly going to pull on had ended before it could actually begin. "I can feel your anxiousness a mile away. So what's up?"

"Uh, we're just…," Lila droned, trying to come up with an excuse while nervously tapping her fingers together. Anabel might have been able to discover them, but she most likely did not know what they were going to plan in the first place. "We were just, um—."

"Hungry!" Leon intervened suddenly, quickly covering his mouth with both hands as the two women gazed at him disbelievingly. It was not like him to suddenly blurt out words with little or vague meaning. Then again, he shared a powerful connection with Lila whether he knew it or not. He felt her increasing panic vibrate within his own body, nearly forcing him to lose his cool. More or less, it was basically a paradigm of the fabled twin telepathy. Anabel seemed to have accepted his rather innocent answer, smiling and tenderly ruffling his short hair.

"Why didn't you say so?" Anabel asked, beaming delightedly by the antics of her precocious youth. "Why don't you kids wash up first before sitting at the table?"

"We're already clean," Lila and Leon answered, holding their open pastel hands out in front of her. Anabel merely giggled, gently stroking her children's hair as she turned her back to them to return into the kitchen.

"Just give Grandma Delia and me some more time alone in the kitchen and we'll call you down for breakfast," Anabel replied, winking back to the eager twins. Leon and Lila nodded vigorously, racing their way back upstairs while squabbling over which one of them would get first dibs over certain food items. The former Salon Maiden walked back towards the counter where Delia was just about gathering the food into their respective plates. The smile she gave to her lovable children had slowly collapsed into a depressed frown. "Well, I've reached that point in the tale again, Delia." With a rather melancholic sigh, she glanced upon the indiscernible white steam flowing upwards from their fresh breakfast. "Can I get through this again? It was so difficult to share it the first time around…" The elderly member of the family merely smiled at the distraught mother, placing a kind hand on her shoulder the same way _he_ used to comfort her.

"Dear, it's like I've been telling you all this time," Delia began, her eyes slightly shimmering their inner beauty behind her new half-moon spectacles. "You've made it ten years, with or without their addition in your life. You're a strong woman. You can get through this part, especially when the time finally comes and they leave." Anabel sighed, relaxing her features altogether and earning another sincere smile from Delia. "By the way, are you still planning on setting up a party for their departure? Most of your old friends have called in, wondering if they could also have a reunion and share the experience with you. Heck, even the entire Town of Pallet wants in on it since they're seeing off yours and _his_ offspring."

"Who called?" Anabel queried, looking rather curious of their possible guests. Delia looked up into the ceiling with a rather unfocused look, holding out her fingers and mumbled the names of various, but familiar names as she counted them off. She was able to discern the mumbled names of Zoey, Drew, May, Dawn, and the latter two's unknown dates, no doubt. Delia added the names of Professor Gary Oak, Kenny, Max, Brock, a few familiar, but indistinguishable short names, and finally the identities of six original Kanto Frontier Brains, including the Battle Frontier manager himself, Scott. Anabel's eyes brightened upon listening to the names of her old colleagues; she was surprised, yet overjoyed that they somehow found out about the pending party. She even wondered if Scott had alerted the five Johto Frontier Brains about the news of Leon and Lila.

"Let's see if I got this down," Delia mumbled, facing Anabel directly. "I believe that Brock was the first to learn the news from May, about both the eggs and the party. Then, he must have shared it with Lucy, who had then spread the word to the other former Frontier Brains. Oh! And before I forget again, Lucy gives you her congratulations, Brandon his salutations, Noland his Articuno's blessing, Tucker his autograph, Spencer his regards, Scott his thumbs-up, and Greta her 'Oish!' to you." She performed the last message with a battle pose, though it was way off of what the former Arena Tycoon would strike as. It was still the thought that counts for the touched Anabel.

"My friends… they really do care…," Anabel whispered to herself, placing a dainty hand over her beating, slightly aching heart.

"You're probably tired of hearing this by now," Delia started, giving her an earnest glance.

"No, just say what you need to say," Anabel replied with a beautiful, honest smile. "It'll never get old, just as you will never get old."

"You're really something, Anabel," Delia giggling, lifting up two fresh plates of breakfast in her arms and carried them to the table. Anabel assisted her without another word, gingerly placing them at their designated corners around the family table. "You are very strong, kind, and lucky."

* * *

The only thing he could remember so far was darkness, just plain darkness clouding his entire vision in the small, secluded space he was currently in. Within the pitch-black darkness, the weary Aura Guardian felt a warm soul of deep dark blue that maintained his distance from him. He was able to distinguish the outside nature of the soul that, because of his horrible and conflicted past, he had difficulty of expressing the true emotions he felt towards certain situations aside from indifference, anger, and hate. These negative emotions were nothing but a callous front to hide his true nature within; the soul was nothing more than a lost loner that sought for truth and most of all, true friendship and companionship. Despite the cruel animosity the soul cursed upon others, including him, the lost soul had come to value him for being the only one to stand up to him and his insults. This was what he learned about the enigmatic soul before blanking out into darkness and a dreamless sleep.

This was the final moment, the act that had recognized their inner friendship and greater rivalry, between the compassionate Aura Guardian, Ash, and the estranged and departed soul, Paul…

_Wake up…_ his voice beckoned within his own head. Ash felt a sharp pain in his head, unable to open his eyes and clear himself of the pitch-black darkness clouding his vision. He attempted to move other parts of his painful body, from a simple jerk of a leg to a twitch of a finger. He felt no such response from his body aside from its numbed sensations. _Come on… Move… Move…!_ His iron will had managed to achieve a form of mobility from his right arm before the warm feeling had spread into his other arm. _That's it…!_ Now that he was on fire on obtaining control over his body, Ash gradually pushed himself up from the strangely comfortable surface that his back rested upon with his elbows. His eyes were still closed. _Wake up!_

With one last mental urge from his influential inner voice, the young Aura Guardian slowly opened his eyes like a newborn baby exposed to the light of the world. The pitch-black darkness slowly faded and blurred away, replaced by the setting of a bedroom instead of the outside forest scenery of Agate Village. He had no idea what time it was now. As his eyes recovered their sight and sat his body up further, Ash felt something light and thin on his stomach region. He looked down and discovered a lavender-sleeved arm wrapped around his torso. His steady recovery allowed full mobility of his uplifted head and neck. Ash followed the familiar arm lying upon his chest, connected to someone whose presence nearly made him throw an astonished fit. His auburn eyes nearly bulged out of their round sockets, unable to comprehend how he somehow ended up back in his given bedroom in the Agate Village Pokémon Center with _her_ sleeping right next to him.

Ash wanted to fall back into unconsciousness, merely out of confusion and worry. Anabel was fast asleep, strangely clothed in her usual formal attire save it for her shoes kept at her side of the bed. Her tender head was buried into the side of his pillow; he even felt her fresh, sweet breath blowing against his skin. The young Aura Guardian had realized that she had not been under his blanket with him, which for some reason made him blush furiously. He dismissed the strange thought with the replacement of his original desire of falling back to sleep. However, he could not do so as he still felt a sort of lingering pain jabbing away at the right side of his body. Ash removed the top section of his blanket, discovering that his entire upper body was stripped of a shirt and was completely bandaged with another sling hanging around his right shoulder. The realization had finally dawned upon him. Anabel must have found him outside and brought him back in. She must have been the one watching over him, caring for him as he recovered. There was no other logical explanation on how he ended up back inside the bedroom.

"Morning, sleepy-head," her quiet voice whispered. Ash felt a sharp chill going down his throbbing spine. Anabel had woken up; so much for him trying to fall back asleep without her finding out. He observed her slender body stirring into motion. The Salon Maiden turned on her side, resting her smiling head on the palm of her left hand with her arm propped up. "Did you have a good night's sleep?"

"Uh… I wasn't sure if I would call it a 'good night's sleep,' Anabel," Ash replied hesitantly, attempting to stand out further from his covers. A sharp twinge froze him in motion, unable to continue with his movements in bed.

"Please, settle down," Anabel pleaded, using her right arm to press him back down on the bed. "You were really banged up when Pikachu and I found you last night. Your Pokémon were also hurt, but now recovering under Nurse Joy's care." Ash began to chuckle sheepishly, but he had noticed a change in Anabel's mood. She turned from lighthearted into serious within a heartbeat. "What were you thinking sleeping out there?! You could have caught a cold from the frigid outside!"

"I was doing something important… but now, my entire body hurts," Ash explained, rubbing the back of his head. The events that had transpired last night played themselves in the back of his mind, which started from waking up to Paul's leaving and challenging him to a rematch to prevent him from leaving the group. The recognition had suddenly hit him over the head like a Thunderbolt from Pikachu. "Where's Paul?" Anabel looked down into the pillow. She appeared unwilling to answer, knowing how outrageous he would react to it. "Anabel…?" Her closed eyes winced. He had to know the truth.

"Paul… is no longer with us," Anabel stated, her tone sounding rather unreadable. She knew that Ash would be concerned about his absence, but she did not know how she would feel about it. Paul was not exactly the nicest person to her since she first met the bitter rival of her lover. In fact, most of his brutal insults and comments were to discourage her enough to fall away from Ash. However, that only prompted the Salon Maiden to fight back and keep her position next to Ash at all times. "Listen, no one found him in the village anymore. The Robo Darkrai isn't even in its hiding spot anymore."

"I know. I saw him leave the village behind."

"I don't know how he got away from—Say what?"

"Anabel, believe it or not, I tried to stop him last night," Ash explained, his expression and tone were staid. Anabel hummed upon the facts piecing themselves together into the solved puzzle, which basically explained to her how Ash ended up outside asleep in the cold with Lucario and Tyranitar scattered around him. "It started out as a simple rematch, but when I got the upper hand on Paul, I…"

"Yes?" Anabel urged, her lilac eyes shimmering in admiration.

"I somehow entered his mind with an aura trick I decided to test out on him," Ash continued, staring upon his bandaged right index finger. Anabel tilted her head to the side, slightly confused. "It was strange, but I actually did enter Paul's mind for only a few minutes. I've learned so much of his dark behavior and his hate towards you."

"No surprise there," Anabel surmised abruptly, shaking her head in dissatisfaction. "You know what? I'm willing to bet that Paul wanted to call me 'cheap' for clinging onto you and taking his only source of competition by default or something." Ash gulped nervously, earning much of Anabel's intuitive suspicion. "Did I hit the nail on the head?"

"He _actually_ wanted to call you something worse than that," Ash began, but paused upon sensing a burning glare from his lover, "but I'd rather not repeat what he told me…" Again in another heartbeat, Anabel's mood had quickly changed over from a frown to a beaming smile. _If I still valued my body to remain functional, I'm glad I shut my mouth…_ The Salon Maiden admired his honesty and gallantry upon disregarding the usage of Paul's dirty language.

"So what happened after you entered his mind?" Anabel inquired, casually laying her head upon her arm on the pillow. Ash shifted his eyes around the room, forming a sort of reasonable response in his head to satisfy her curiosities. There was so much more he had to tell her, including the most incredulous discovery he had ever learned about his surly rival. "Listen, just so you know, I don't think any less of you for losing to him since you were found out cold with your Pokémon _in_ the cold."

"It's not that… It's just… just that I finally found out what he really thought of me as…"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that his opinion over you can't be as worse as mine," Anabel said, comforting him with a soft rub on his arm with her free hand. "I could even tell from your startled eyes that he wanted to insult me with a very vulgar term."

"He saw me as his friend…"

The bedroom fell into completely cold moment of silence. Ash remained stable and quiet, having adjusted to his own alarming news quite well during his momentary coma state. Anabel, however, had a look on her face that was simply not enough to express her disbelieving skepticism over the presented truth before her. Paul, the rival who treated Pokémon as tools of power with a rude attitude on tow, admitted that he actually saw Ash as a friend while at the same time despised her. It just did not make sense to her, but then again he was a very complex and mysterious individual who focused on the present. In their present time, he greatly desired the downfall of Reverse-Cipher, which he believed that neither she nor Ash were competent enough to handle to their romance. That was one motive for him to leave them behind, but it still did not make sense to the Salon Maiden on why he considered Ash his friend.

"Ash, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Anabel asked, her facial expression remaining horror-struck. "Should I get another ice bag?" She slowly inched her body towards the edge of the bed, but Ash anticipated her panic.

"Anabel, I'm fine!" Ash intervened before she got off the bed, grabbing her arm tightly, but gently. She paused and looked at him with a somber fire in her eyes, returning into her original position next to him after a few tedious seconds of considering his candor. She took a deep breath and sighed, allowing the truth to sink in no matter how ridiculous and outrageous it sounded. It was, at least, a good thing that Paul _did_ see Ash as a friend.

"Very well, Ash. I know for a fact that you never lie about stuff like this. I'll take your word for it that Paul had come to respect you and recognize your hard work of proving yourself against his harsh ideals."

"You still don't sound convinced," Ash pointed out. Anabel looked at him slyly, raising a thin eyebrow as she had found a perfect opportunity to strike now that Paul was out of the way. She lowered her head near his ear, her fresh breath tickling his soft cartilage.

"Then _convince_ me the best that you can, _Ashy-boy_," Anabel whispered into his ear. The chills in her playful, seductive voice shivered Ash to his core, especially when she had resorted to using Gary's pet name for him. He turned his head to face her, witnessing the mild fervent look burning within the lilac pupils of her eyes. He sensed her invitation to join her, and knew that there was no way out or around it. He merely replied with a subtle grin that represented his passion for her.

Before either one knew it, their heads moved forward and their lips melded into a strong kiss. Their soft lips touched repeatedly, licking away at the other's mouth slowly from the inside. Their heads moved in closer and their arms wrapped around their bodies into a tight, warm embrace. They were slowly getting into the moment with repeated light kisses on each other before indulging themselves even further, moaning quietly from the gradual rush of pleasure filling into their heads. Even though he was still in pain from the night before, Ash moaned out of the pleasure Anabel had planted with her kisses in his mouth. Their lips were still joined together. Their tongues resumed their passionate dance for a congenial rush. Though it was still early morning, their make-out session became quite active in a matter of moments. The cover that separated Ash's body from Anabel's ruffled in between their movements. Ash continued to tease Anabel with a brief touch of his lips on hers, pulling away and taunting her to come in closer for more. However, from past experience, he made sure that he was not going to push her over the edge again.

Ash felt the sensual movements of her arms on his sore back as calm and controlled as ever. He quietly laughed in his throat to himself that she must have learned from her past. With the assumption in mind, he rewarded the Salon Maiden access of his mouth, leaving his lips stationary as his tongue greeted hers. As though as she was sent into a dream, Anabel moaned delightedly as the rush she was receiving Ash excited every fiber of her being. Her legs crossed over each other tightly the same way her embracing arms were nearly squeezing the life out of Ash. For a rather svelte young woman, she had decent physical strength as Ash noted; his face was starting to turn blue from his obstructed airway, yet he still continued to make out with her. He had an apprehensive feeling that if he stopped, the returning pain would increase even more. Maybe if she was not so easily excited and somewhat aggressive when it came to private moments, he would have had just as much fun as she did. His feelings for her would not easily change. He knew she just wanted some romance.

"Hey! Ash? Anabel? You guys in there?" a voice asked from outside their door, knocking upon the wooden door to snap them out of their lusting trance. Ash and Anabel blinked groggily several times before realizing that they were about to have a visitor in their room. The young Aura Guardian, feeling the relief upon the removed pressure from Anabel's arms, collapsed back into a mess in the bed. Anabel immediately straightened herself out, wore her shoes, and went to open the door.

"Rui! Eagun! And Pikachu too! It's so great to see you!" Anabel exclaimed upon receiving a hug from the redhead. Eagun strode off past them with Ash's young Pikachu following from behind, wanting to see how his young protégé was coping.

"Anabel called us as soon as she could," Eagun explained before Ash had a chance to ask. He sat upon the edge of the bed, gazing upon him with his tired, old eyes hidden within his long white hair. Pikachu hopped back into his place with his best friend, nuzzling Ash's cheek with his own furry head. "It must have been quite a loss for you."

"No kidding," Ash concurred, sitting up and ignoring the searing pain kept within his upper body's bandages. "But my pride as a Pokémon Trainer is now the least of my worries. Anabel and I can't take down Reverse-Cipher without Paul's help. And I know that he can't do it by himself, no matter how strong he claims to be."

"Which is why you must follow him," Eagun proposed, intertwining his long, wrinkled fingers together. "Because wherever he goes, he's bound to run into more Reverse-Cipher members. And with his fierce determination, he's going to find their headquarters in no time flat." Ash looked at the Agate elder, sighing to himself before looking away to the wall in grief.

"By now, his trail might have disappeared into the desert sands," Ash mumbled, staring into a certain spot on the plain wall. "He's not one that can be affected by lack of sleep. He has a Pokémon that's basically the embodiment of nightmares living within his soul. There's no way he'd rest long enough for us to catch up to him." Without warning, Eagun seized the young Aura Guardian by the throat. Pikachu jumped back in shock, threatening to shock the old man. Eagun, however, glared sharply into the deep eyes of the Mouse Pokémon, somehow dissuading his threat of imminent electrocution. Through his eyes, Pikachu saw his reason for acting so tough against his Trainer. Anabel and Rui, however, believed that he had finally lost his mind to old age.

"What the heck are you doing to him?!" Anabel demanded, extremely disturbed by the Myth Trainer strangling her lover.

"Grandpa, let him go!" Rui pleaded. Their pleas fell upon deaf ears. Ash attempted to yell, but even his voice was choked by Eagun's firm grip.

"W-What… are you… doing…?" Ash asked as audibly possible as he could.

"Beating yourself around over one failure will _never_ get you anywhere!" Eagun roared, throwing a sudden shake into Ash to knock some sense into him. "If you're going to keep thinking like that, why do you even bother wasting time here in a foreign land far away from home? Just because situations are at their bleakest means that you're just going to give up and run back home?!" His grip on Ash's neck loosened, allowing the distressed Aura Guardian to properly talk and reason back to him.

"That's not… what I meant," Ash coughed, still groaning from the pain.

"Then what _is_ it that makes you doubt yourself?" Eagun repeated in a hoarse growl. Ash's eyes had jolted open; he was forced to take a stand and prove himself to the old man that he was not a pushover. He smacked Eagun's hand off of his throat, surprising the Myth Trainer with his flaring defiance.

"Paul was my _friend_ and I let him down, alright?!" Ash retorted heatedly, slamming and grinding a fist down on the wall to his left as he continued to breathe heavily in sight of everyone. "I wasn't efficient nor was I the kind of rival he wanted me to be. He became fed up with my incompetence after all this time and I couldn't even stop him…" He seethed quietly to himself. His body was overwhelmed by both the physical pain from the rematch last night to the emotional anguish over losing a friend because of his mistakes. The whole room was soundless, hushed to a point that the occupants were rendered speechless at Ash's newly revived respect for his rival. Anabel felt just as concerned for him upon the topic of the missing Paul, more or less since Ash had actually earned the long-sought respect from the cold Trainer. The Aura Guardian felt a wrinkled old hand laying upon his shoulder without any sort of threatening nature tied to it.

"Then you should have listened to my advice earlier and find him if you truly care about him," Eagun suggested, gruffly chuckling and smiled. "You have a Lucario, right?" Ash nodded and promptly realized what his next suggestion entailed. "Then follow the trail and you'll find him _and_ the home base of Reverse-Cipher."

"Understood," Ash replied, his expression becoming resolute.

* * *

**Wow… This is probably one of the few short chapters I've written since I'm so accustomed on writing an estimated amount of over seven thousand words. But then again, this is simply the scene where Ash recovers from his ordeal and begins his next mission on finding Paul, wherever he went. I would have added more, but I believe that writer's block has finally infected me. Oh, dear…**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	24. Encumbrance

**Well, just this and one last update before I depart for college. I thank those who still bore with me while concerned about my well-being on writing, but I digress. Anyway, I still won't guarantee that these two chapters would be the best or descriptive as they're supposed to be, but as long as they continue to move the plot along, then I guess that's that.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The lush serenity of Agate Village was slowly disappearing behind them as their sandy trail was blown up into the searing winds. After he had recovered from his injuries from the rematch with Paul the following day, Ash doggedly insisted that he and Anabel would leave the forest village to find their grudging, defiant ally while his trail was still fresh over the desert sands. So far, his Lucario was able to pick up on his dark, fleeting aura trail. Maybe they were not too late and that there was still a chance to find Paul. With the final words of Eagun echoing in his mind, the young Aura Guardian hung onto his resolve as if he was living the final days of his life. He could only feel a lot surer about finding his rival, and possibly the headquarters of the Reverse-Cipher organization, with the Salon Maiden faithfully by his side.

Now that the couple was heading south and deeper into the unknown desert plains of the Orre region, they had to prepare for any situation thrown at them while at the same time expect the unexpected. Lucario was still up ahead of Ash and Anabel as they followed behind in Dr. Kaminko's custom-built Robo Pokémon that represented their inner natures. The metallic paws of the Robo Lucario glided seamlessly over the sand through the minimal expulsion of Ash's aura as the main source of fuel. The Robo Cresselia also hovered smoothly a foot over the desert ground as Anabel fed the main control with a low amount of Cresselia's radiance. The eccentric inventor had outdone himself this time around as each of the Robo Pokémon's locomotion was even noiseless. Together, all three of them were miles apart from Agate Village or any other established settlements as far as they knew.

"How far do you think Paul has gotten?" Anabel asked, keeping a light tone on the sensitive topic. She glanced into Ash's direction on her right, noting that he did not even hear her. He leaned forward on his seat with Pikachu on his shoulder, determined to remain on Lucario's trail as the Aura Pokémon discerned subtle trace's of Paul's aura, with a tiny mix of Darkrai's potent aura, over the aimless sand. Her lips quivered in worry. It had only been an hour or so since they finally left behind Agate Village and Ash had not been acting like his usual upbeat self. "Ash…?"

"… Huh?" Ash grunted, his stern look broken upon the Salon Maiden's call. "Did you say something just now, Anabel?" Anabel shook her and smiled weakly. Ash could feel her concern for him and merely replied with a grin of his own to assure her, but that was simply not enough to convince her otherwise.

_You may be smiling on the outside, Ash, but your heart is still heavy with regret_, Anabel thought as Ash resumed watching Lucario follow the aura trail of his rival. She looked down upon the Robo Cresselia's main console in solemn contemplation upon the most recent events that had transpired. _Has Paul really affected your life the way it is now?_

The Salon Maiden was not sure how to feel about the incident of Paul's defection to stop Reverse-Cipher himself while doing some soul-searching at the same time. It was apparent to her that those two rivals had indeed greatly affected the other's lives. The introduction of Ash's persistent kindness and friendship had eventually caused Paul to reconsider his own austere training regiments, leaving him at an impossible impasse on how to go about in his career as a Pokémon Trainer. The past was the past; Paul had to learn how to finally leave his own tormenting past behind. Cyrus and the vile name of Team Galactic had both dropped off the face of the earth and whatever happened to his family could not change back. His parents were dead and Reggie was still a Breeder back home in Veilstone City. Anabel knew that much on how Paul was affected by Ash. But when she learned that her lover had finally earned Paul's respect as a Trainer, she figured that it might have been a prize greater than defeating Cynthia since the past seven months.

What seemed more incredulous to her was that Paul had found a real human friend in the one he claimed to have greatly despised because of his pathetic, childish ideals on becoming strong. Anabel still had difficulty of allowing the fact to settle within her head. She was not really fond of him, but she hated the fact that Ash was distraught over his absence. She was previously convinced enough that he hated the both of them simply from reading his attitude, but she never took the time to thoroughly learn his past and motivations as a Trainer. Paul was still himself, after all. Cold, indifferent, serious, and never genuinely smiling; these negative qualities were what formed the basic foundation of his earlier personality. If Anabel had bothered learning more about him with the same stubborn perseverance as her Aura Guardian had, then she might have been able to sympathize with Ash a bit more about the loss of a friend. She was still with him, and all she could do now his support him in their new mission. Before the Salon Maiden could try to reach out to Ash again and ease his intimidating anxieties, Pikachu shouted something about some sort of obstacle up ahead.

"Pika!" Pikachu repeated, alerting them all to a small army of shaded figures up ahead. Even Lucario had stopped in his tracks, waiting for a command on how to deal with these strangers in the middle of following Paul's trail. As they slowed down and their personages became clearer, they immediately leapt out of their rides with Poké Balls on hand to take down those bothersome interlopers.

"What do you want?" Ash demanded in a threat. The small group of mercenaries was composed of Reverse-Cipher Peons, having come to impede their journey to no doubt.

"I recognize them," Anabel muttered, narrowing her eyes upon every single smirking Peon. "They're the same creeps that attacked Agate Village while you and Paul took on Dakim and Gorigan." The Peon at the center of the small militia started to laugh snidely, striding forward towards the two young heroes to separate himself from his men.

"What a photographic memory you must have," the Peon commented, smirking wickedly and snapped his fingers. The gesture signaled his men to toss up a large amount of Poké Balls into the air, snapping open simultaneously as a herd of Golbat and Mightyena materialized from the bright, individual white flashes. "Then you must remember _these_ Pokémon from before! Like us, they want their vengeance on you easily kicking us out of that decrepit village and preventing us from helping our Admins in destroying that accursed Relic Stone." The minute their vicious Pokémon had appeared from the white flashes, both Ash and Lucario reacted rather violently towards them.

"They're _all_ Shadow Pokémon this time?" Anabel assumed from their defensive expressions. Ash and Lucario nodded mechanically, preparing for what they expected to be quite a wild fight. _This is not looking good so far…_ Anabel bit her lip and glanced with a slight cringe upon the storm of emanating black aura from the Pokémon that shrouded the entire section of Reverse-Cipher Peons. The sky overhead had begun to darken from the sudden conglomeration of Shadow Pokémon within a vicinity of only a few short miles. Never before had they dealt with a lot more Shadow Pokémon all at once, especially when they were once fought as regular Pokémon altogether. With only just Ash and Anabel fighting them off this time, they would have to play their infuriating game while maintaining their distance from them since their powerful and aggressive member had abandoned them for his own confounding reasons.

"Pikachu, get in there and help Lucario _now_," Ash muttered sternly to his buddy. With a quick nod and a concerned frown, Pikachu leapt off of his shoulder and ran upon the hot sand to join Lucario in the ensuing battle.

"Go, my friends!" Anabel yelled, throwing two Poké Balls in the air that swiftly released Metagross and Chimecho to join Lucario and Pikachu. Her Pokémon slowly hovered down to the ground at their different paces; Chimecho glided weightlessly around in the air while Metagross landed with a quaking thud and a large dusty cloud of sand. It was now four Pokémon against an innumerable amount of Shadow Pokémon belonging to the same group of insignificant Peons led by Skrub.

"Why'd you send out Chimecho?" Ash asked, his tone sounding neither skeptic, nor supportive of her Pokémon decision. Anabel merely looked at him before responding, puzzled about why he would ask of all times.

"Since it looks like we're going to be in for a long fight, Chimecho can help refresh the rest of our fighters if they get too tired or get hurt," Anabel explained, tapping her fingers together weakly. She felt rather flushed from both her speeding heart and from exposure to the desert sun. She could feel the rays of light slightly burning down against her pale skin.

"So you're saying that we don't stand a chance against their army?"

"What…?"

"Forget it, Anabel… Just focus on ending the battle as soon as possible so that we can move on," Ash muttered, curtly turning away from her to start the assault against their troublesome enemies. The Salon Maiden was no longer perplexed, but instead very fretful over his sudden terse attitude directed towards her. "Pikachu, Quick Attack! Lucario, use ExtremeSpeed! Let's go!"

Both of his Pokémon grunted readily, leaping forward into action from their individual huge boosts of super speed. Their swift movements were traced and followed by their glowing trails of white, sprinting through the heated Orre air as they neared the army of edgy Shadow Golbat and Mightyena. Pikachu led on the attack first, swerving from corner to corner to bewilder the beady eyes of his aggressive enemies with his small stature and dazzling speed as the yellow blur. The Mouse Pokémon had managed to attain the attention of all the Golbat and Mightyena as he continued to dash about in the sand, kicking up small clouds into their piercing eyes just to irritate them even more.

"No more playing games!" Skrub declared, holding his arm out for his men to wait in standby mode took over control for their Shadow Pokémon. "Golbat and Mightyena, focus your Shadow Ball on that annoying Pikachu!"

"Lucario, now switch to Metal Claw!"

"Raaaaah!" Lucario bellowed, his gruff roar reverberating in the open desert space. Skrub and the Pokémon had just begun to realize that they overlooked the young Aura Guardian's other Pokémon as their insular single-mindedness had them mainly focus on unleashing their anger upon Pikachu. Lucario was discovered at the other side of the group of Shadow Pokémon, rushing forward from the boost of ExtremeSpeed with three extended blades from his wrist spikes. "Ru! Rah!" Within the blink of an eye, the Aura Pokémon had swept through the entire row of Mightyena and Golbat, leaving behind the scars from his swift Metal Claw strikes in his wake. Lucario, while he leapt through the entire row, swung his arms around with excellent proficiency that quickly harmed each and every Shadow Pokémon with the strike of his Metal Claw. However, the Shadow Pokémon had not collapsed from the extra power added from the momentum of Lucario's speed. More or less, they were merely aggravated at Lucario now.

With a ferocious roar that echoed for miles across the middle of scenic nowhere, the leading Mightyena coerced the other Mightyena and Golbat to fire their Shadow Balls at Lucario. Forced to think quickly on his feet, Lucario produced his green bone staff as means of protection and evasion from their relentless barrage. As a powerful show of display, Lucario rapidly twirled the staff several times with both hands before staying into a stance in which he pointed out the staff towards the Shadow Pokémon ensemble with both hands reclining near the ends. His bold example challenged them to use him as target practice, beginning the assault upon the impulse of an impatient Shadow Golbat.

Lucario readied himself for the merciless onslaught, gripping the green aura staff tightly in his hands. He closed his eyes calmly, allowing his other senses to grow to superseding, enhanced levels of productivity. The Aura Pokémon could almost feel the cold and appalling darkness of every individual Shadow Ball attack within the humid desert environment looming towards him, chilling down his sturdy spine. It was now an excellent time to witness the fruits of his training, his ability to control his aura, to reveal themselves in front of every participant in the battle. With a deep, sharp exhale, Lucario expertly swung his staff at the first Shadow Ball drawing near him, sending it into the next Shadow Ball behind it. He smirked slightly, but absolutely retained his stoic concentration to prevent the hindrance of arrogance to blind his senses and continued his retaliating strikes against the Ghost attack barrage. One by one, the Aura Pokémon sent every oncoming Shadow Ball back into another with elegant, illusive swipes of his Bone Rush, in which the ghastly spheres ricocheted off one another until the least tolerable and most volatile Shadow Ball exploded and eliminated the rest nearby. In a matter of seconds, Lucario had completely reduced the Shadow Ball onslaught into smoke, celebrating the momentary victory with a minor spin of his staff in his right hand before it disappeared.

"Lucario did an awesome job stopping their attacks, Ash," Anabel commented, smiling amiably. But much to her discontent, the young Aura Guardian had not paid much heed to her warm praise as he continued to observe the ongoing battle with an intense glare burning in his once approachable auburn eyes. "Ash, didn't you hear me?"

"This battle isn't over yet, not until they're _all_ down for the count," Ash muttered, swinging a fist into his chest, forcefully grinding it into where his heart was. The cold act itself made Anabel clutch her own heart in fear. Whoever this hardened warrior attempting to throw aside his emotions was, this was not Ash she was dealing with anymore. "Fight back! Pikachu, Thunderbolt on the Golbat! Lucario, use Aura Sphere on the Mightyena!"

"Ash, wait!" Anabel intervened hastily, grabbing his arm with both of her hands before he could issue out more brutal commands to his Pokémon. "We also have to save and purify them, not just weaken them until they collapse." Ash merely gave her a firm look, nodding only for her to let go of his arm.

"So aren't you going to help out or what?" he asked; his tone was rather brusque enough to make her recoil from the slight ache in her heart. The Salon Maiden nodded back meekly, turning away from him to face her idle Pokémon in the wait for a command.

_Oh Ash, what has gotten into you lately?_ Anabel mused with a despondent look. His strange new behavior and mannerisms seemed terribly familiar, but the Salon Maiden just did not want to jump to conclusions yet. She knew Ash better than that. He would not look as distant and detached as he seemed to be now. _I guess there's no time for me to worry about that right now… _Her face began to tense up before she lent her assistance to him in the form of her Psychic Pokémon. _Metagross, use Meteor Mash on the Mightyena! Chimecho, Psywave on the Golbat!_

"Meta!" Metagross grunted, effortlessly lifting its huge legs off the shapeless ground and hovered over into the battle with Chimecho trailing behind. The clawed end of its front right leg garnered a huge spike of power that radiated as an orange, spiked force of cosmic power. "Me-ta!" With a mighty bellow, the Iron Leg Pokémon sent its dynamic Meteor Mash into the side of a Mightyena preoccupied on trying to hit Lucario. The resulting hit became a domino effect that toppled a small row of Bite Pokémon from Metagross' strike on the first Mightyena colliding into them.

"Ruuuuuh!" Lucario roared, creating the same outcome upon tossing an Aura Sphere into another Shadow Mightyena. The force from the volatile blast sent it flying into its rabid brethren.

"Chiiiiime!" Chimecho sung, emanating several powerful psychic waves from its small body, including the yellow appendage on top of its head. Its eyes lit up from its mental focus, capturing a small swarm of Shadow Golbat that avoided Pikachu's Thunderbolt. "Chime Chime—Chime?!" The Wind Chime Pokémon became carried away from its initial successful hit at its Psywave had begun to reach out to Pokémon beyond its restricted range. Well aware of the malfunction, Lucario and Pikachu leapt from their secluded locations at dealing with the Shadow Pokémon surrounding them.

"What are you doing?" Ash barked at Anabel, frustrated that Pikachu and Lucario were interrupted and forced to evade Chimecho's haywire Psychic attack. This instance had become strike three of his flaring anger against her; it was all she could tolerate from his bizarre change of behavior. "Control your Pokémon's _pathetic_ attacks!"

"How about _you_ control that foul attitude of yours first?!" Anabel retorted, her demeanor instantly becoming icy. Ash stepped back, retaining a perturbed scowl as the Salon Maiden forced herself to speak out and tell him off. "Just because Paul isn't here anymore doesn't mean that _you_ should become him!"

"I'm _nothing_ like Paul!" Ash roared, raising a fist up in the air that nearly looked like he was about to strike her. "_I'm_ taking charge now!" All Anabel could do was squirm in fear with her arms covering her face, unable to look upon the abrupt, unbecoming change within her lover as her own vision became blurred by bitter tears of desperation twinkling at the shut corners of her delicate eyes. The young Aura Guardian paused to gaze upon her cowering posture; his heart began to twist and beat rapidly as he felt the laryngeal prominence in his throat swell out from finally comprehending the morbid disgrace of the monster that he had become. "Oh, no… What have I done…?"

Ash looked upon his rough hands with an apprehensive quiver, trembling over the possibility of what could have been, should never be. Anabel opened a teary eye upon sensing the withdrawal of his anger, subtly watching as he looked away upon the sand in remorse. The Salon Maiden was right. His inability to prevent Paul from absconding away from their group and weakening their resistance against the tyranny of Reverse-Cipher, as well as the startling revelation that Paul finally respected Ash as a true friend, nearly drove the Aura Guardian over the brink. He had always respected Paul as a strong Trainer and rival, tottering between more or less due to his uncaring attitude and treatment towards others and especially Pokémon. But now that he was gone, Ash was convinced that, aside from his rival's need to find the right way back into the light, he had to take his responsibility of saving the Orre region and the world up a notch. However, he did not take into account the deeper repercussions of hardening his own heart just so that he could get his friend back and save the world before Reverse-Cipher could start Armageddon with Shadow Giratina at its ultimate pinnacle of power. By doing so, he was greatly hurting another who truly cared for him more than he cared about Paul.

"Ash…?" Anabel asked, her voice still weakened by her previous tears.

"I hurt you, Anabel…," Ash mumbled in a nearly inaudible tone. He was unable to bare the emotional pain he never really meant to inflict on her. "I can never forgive myself for this… _never_…" The contagious wave of his remorse struck her frail body. Anabel wanted to cry again, but she knew that it would not accomplish much of anything aside from worsening their situation at hand. She also knew that Ash never meant to cause such damage to her and to his Pokémon with his harsh commands, but the situation only became worse as the Aura Guardian continued to blame himself for the recent misfortunes that befell their dwindling group. Eagun would never allow him to live this down if he continued to travel this dark path. It was not Ash's fault, or anyone else's at the matter. Circumstances sometimes happen beyond one's awareness and control; they just need to learn how to adapt and move on. With only one directive on mind, Anabel allowed the healing abilities of Cresselia to flow into her fingers. One touch was needed to eradicate his tragic self-doubt and restore his old optimistic confidence.

"Ash, no one blames you," Anabel whispered gently, slowly attempting to reach out to him with her blessed hands. Unbeknownst to them, a Mightyena had snuck away from the battle, snarling at the two humans with the vicious desire to rip their flesh apart and spill their blood into the lost grains of sand. "I—."

"Mightyena, use Shadow Fang!"

With a spine-chilling howl into the air prior to its pounce, Mightyena gathered its chilling black aura into its mouth, coating its saw-like teeth with the horrible power. The Bite Pokémon leapt forward towards the defenseless couple before they had a chance to comprehend the oncoming violent attack. Ash, though he had no chance of defending himself, had instead shielded Anabel with his whole body with his arms outspread wide to make sure that Mightyena could not pass him. The Salon Maiden peered over his shoulder, witnessing in horror as the Shadow Mightyena loomed in towards them with its fangs burning in shadowy darkness. As much as she was scared from the approaching deadly attack, she started to feel a courageous surge of vibrating blue aura stepping in between her and the Mightyena.

"Lucario, no!" Ash cried, attempting to move, but was frozen in place by the Aura Pokémon's strong-minded look in his eyes. Indeed, Lucario had valiantly jumped in the way of the Mightyena's Shadow Fang out of sheer loyalty to Ash. "_Lucario_!" The young Aura Guardian attempted to reach out of his wounded friend, but then noticed that Pikachu was thrown aside and landed near them by a vicious Shadow Storm conjured by several Golbat. "Pikachu, not _you _too!"

"Their Shadow Pokémon are becoming more and more ruthless by the second," Anabel commented, embracing herself behind Ash's back to ensure him of her safety. She noticed that her own Pokémon were starting to become tossed around like rag dolls for the Shadow Golbat and Mightyena's amusement. Metagross was ferociously tackled back towards her and Ash by several Shadow Rushes from the Mightyena while Chimecho was blown away by the Golbat's combined Shadow Storm. "Our Pokémon can't handle anymore of this kind of torment."

"But I'd rather go down in a fight than to flee like a coward," Ash pointed out, earning himself a mild smack to the side of his head by a rather infuriated Salon Maiden. He did not flinch from the hit, knowing that he had deserved that sort of chastisement after the way he treated her earlier. _It's the least that she could've done to smack some sense into me…_

"That's _enough_ thinking like Paul!" Anabel scolded, shaking her head disapprovingly as Skrub and his men's Shadow Pokémon began to surround them and their injured Pokémon in a secluded circle to finish them off for good. "However, you did bring up a good point about what you just said earlier. This fight is still not over… yet."

"Okay, I hear you, Anabel, but our Pokémon right now are down for the count and only sending out more would just be the same result," Ash noted, glancing upon the wounded bodies of Pikachu, Lucario, Metagross, and Chimecho laying motionlessly around them. Even though the four of them gave it their best shot against the small Shadow Pokémon army, it just was not enough to fully the Mightyena and Golbat down for the count. "I don't think even your Chimecho could heal _itself_ if it wanted to right now." The young Aura Guardian sighed, only to feel a bright radiance that seemed to have melted his worries away upon exposure to its heavenly warmth and comfort. "What…?"

"_Lunar Dance!_" Anabel exclaimed, having revealed the celestial vigor originating from her and Cresselia's soul from within.

Ash's eyes had widened in thunderstruck amazement, yet he knew what would come from a powerful technique such as Cresselia's Lunar Dance. He, Anabel, and Paul had gone over learning about their powers acquired from Aura Fusion with Cresselia and Darkrai. While Paul had gained the offensive strength of darkness and nightmares, Anabel received abilities that were best suited to her nurturing nature. She was able to heal and communicate at higher levels with Pokémon, but most of all, she received the sacrificial signature move of the Lunar Pokémon herself. Anabel's slender body was covered in a lavender veil of beautiful aurora rings, radiating off sparkles like the divine stars in a clear night sky. Ash stood back and partially covered his eyes from the brightness of her power. The Shadow Golbat and Mightyena stopped from the sudden blinding divinity emanating from the small circle within their crowd. They, as well as Skrub and the rest of the Reverse-Cipher Peons, glanced up into the darkened desert sky as a small hole was ripped through the dark clouds and shone a warm light upon Anabel's group.

"Anabel, this is the first time you've ever done this," Ash pointed out, breathing heavily over the possibilities upon the end of the Lunar Dance. "What's going to happen to _you_?"

"This is only Cresselia's power being used up," Anabel replied with a tight-lipped smile, clasping her hands outwards to heal their Pokémon to full strength for another round. The glittering moonlight pouring out of her dainty hands showered Chimecho, Metagross, Pikachu, and Lucario, reanimating their cleaned bodies. "I think… I'll manage… Uh…"

"_Anabel_!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs, swiftly catching her body in his arms before she ultimately collapsed from exhaustion. She was fortunately still breathing regularly, but placing a hand on her forehead, the young Aura Guardian could feel her temperature slowly rising.

"I'm… okay…," Anabel whispered, attempting to form a gracious smile for his concern for her. At least she managed to bring Ash back into his senses before he fell into darkness as Paul had; this was a victory the Salon Maiden was most satisfied with.

_It's just a minor side effect… It's just a minor side effect_, Ash thought repeatedly, tightly gritting his teeth as his and Anabel's Pokémon stood back up, ready to fight back as ever. _It's my fault that you're hurt. It's my fault you had to overtax yourself just to bring me back. I've been taking you for granted because of… my own rashness and our recent loss of Paul… I'm sorry, alright…?_ His auburn eyes jolted open upon the cries of their Pokémon calling out to him, waiting for his command. He had to finish what she had started. "Ugh… Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Lucario, Aura Sphere! Metagross, Hyper Beam! Chimecho, Psywave! Push them all back _together_! _Now_!"

"Pikaaaaa…!"

"Ruuuuu…!"

"Metaaaaa…!"

"Chiiiiime…!"

A dramatic medley of attacks was thrown all around their small radius within the swarming Shadow Mightyena and Golbat. It began with a brilliant flash of increased power from the rejuvenated Pokémon, concentrating their strength upon the assigned attacks Ash had guided them with. It had become the reckless do-or-die situation now with their lives on the line. The unrelenting Shadow Pokémon nearly closed the circle if it had not been for Anabel's second chance, a chance that had greatly tipped the battle to the favor of the heroes. Pikachu led off with a fierce Thunderbolt, ensnaring several Golbat at once with his revived power. Lucario was beside him, launching several volatile Aura Spheres from the palms of his hands that took out several Mightyena upon each powerful eruption. Metagross mowed down the other half of Bite Pokémon that Lucario had not gotten to with its massive Hyper Beam. Chimecho had finished the remaining uncouth Shadow Pokémon with its disorientating Psywave, completely sapping the energy of the Golbat that attempted to get near the Wind Chime Pokémon. Ash observed with a quiet, but astounded expression upon their increase in power.

_So… this is what Lunar Dance does to a Pokémon_, Ash thought, shifting his silent gaze upon the resting Salon Maiden in his arms. _And what it does to you… _The Shadow Golbat and Mightyena were finally rendered powerless and vulnerable to purification. Since there were so many of them scattered around the area, he needed some form of assistance to bring those Pokémon back to their senses. It was then that his and Anabel's Pokémon had returned to him meekly, having finished the job of dispatching the approaching Shadow Pokémon. "Metagross, can you give me a hand with her?"

"Meta," Metagross grunted, nodding subtly. Ash lifted the Salon Maiden up on Metagross' head for her to recover while he attended to other business. The young Aura Guardian nodded off to Lucario, who knew what he needed from him. Ash and Lucario went to opposite sides of their circle, immediately getting into position before the Golbat and Mightyena could stand back up and fight again. They had spread their arms apart at shoulder-length, but before they could begin their widespread purification someone had challenged them to one final match.

"Not so fast!" Skrub declared, throwing a Poké Ball in the air and calling out a Hitmontop. Ash immediately picked up on the fearsome black aura that emanated out of the rowdy Handstand Pokémon. "You're not going to get away with this, _Aura Guardian_!" Ash flinched from hearing his title spat out in vehement acid. "Yeah, that's right. Admins Dakim and Gorigan warned us about you, the main ringleader of those rebellious do-gooders from another region trying tp destroy our current hold on Orre. Our main priority now is to take _you_ with us and eliminate anyone else that gets in our way." Ash merely blinked for a moment, considering the leading Peon's words carefully. He glanced at the weak Anabel resting vulnerably upon Metagross' head. He took a sharp breath, having thought out a logical plan for the future now once he was finished with these Peons.

"So, I'm your _only_ target?" Ash repeated, articulating his second to last word for a clear definition of their mission.

"That's correct, brat," Skrub confirmed, pretending to crack his knuckles as a show of intimidation. Ash was not amused, however. "Now then, with that in mind, will you abandon your troupe and surrender to us? If not, my _new_ Hitmontop would be delighted to show the error of your goody-goody ways."

"Montop!" Hitmontop shouted, heatedly pounding his round fists together.

"I don't have time for this," Ash muttered impatiently under his breath, greatly infuriated by Skrub's pathetic attempts at an intense confrontation. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, immediately leaping into action and sped up towards Hitmontop. "PiPiPiPiPi… Pika!" The Mouse Pokémon, as nimble and hasty as his best friend's brusque command, tackled Hitmontop off of his feet and sent him flying into the humid desert air. Skrub was flabbergasted.

"Now switch to Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Pikachu screamed, unleashing a massive current of electricity stored from within his red cheeks. The Electric attack had amazing devastated the airborne Hitmontop, inducing a neural-shock paralysis upon direct contact. Still falling from the air due to being swept off by Pikachu's Quick Attack, the Handstand Pokémon trembled in pain from the lingering static locking his joints in place.

"Wrap this up with Iron Tail!"

"Chuuuuu…!" Pikachu growled, dashing towards the falling shadow of Hitmontop as his tail shone brightly as polished steel. He leapt high in the air, ready to intercept the Handstand Pokémon with one final move. "Pika!" With a vigorous strike, Pikachu sent Hitmontop earthbound in Ash's direction. The young Aura Guardian stood in place resolutely, firmly catching Hitmontop with both hands without much difficulty, and purified the Handstand Pokémon instantly. Ash's potent aura quickly retreated back into his body without much effort; the process of purification had finally become second nature to the hardened Aura Guardian. The swift display of losing his Hitmontop had utterly bowled Skrub over, so much so that he dropped Hitmontop's Poké Ball before retreating with his men. He finally recognized that he and his men were currently outmatched by this young man alone.

"I'll remember this! Just you wait, brat!" Skrub hollered as he and his men continued fleeing into the wide Orre horizon. "We'll just come back after _you_ with stronger, easily replaceable Shadow Pokémon!"

"I guess that's not the last we'll hear from them," Ash muttered, discovering that Pikachu returned to him with Hitmontop's Poké Ball on hand. _Or at least, for me…_ Without giving it any other thought, he took the Poké Ball from his buddy and tapped the spherical containment device on the Handstand Pokémon's head. There were no signs of struggling for liberation. The Poké Ball warbled only once before becoming dull and inert, straight away disappearing into thin air afterwards. There was just no time for the young Aura Guardian to celebrate his new capture of Hitmontop, knowing that there was someone else that needed his help.

"Pi-ka-chu?" Pikachu asked, his expression concerned from the aftermath. Ash merely faked a smile to appease Pikachu's worries and the Mouse Pokémon bought it. Lucario, Chimecho, and Metagross approached them, waiting for his word. Ash turned towards Lucario with a somber look; he had made his decision on how to cope with Paul's absence after Anabel would recover her strength.

"Lucario, let's purify these Pokémon together and find a quiet spot for Anabel to wake up," Ash announced, folding his arms across his sinewy chest.

"Ruh," Lucario agreed quietly.

* * *

It had only been a few hours since their ambush. The small, wandering group of heroes was lost under the glowing Orre dusk overhead. Lucario was worn out from the extensive, brutal battle against such a horde of Shadow Pokémon. He attempted to hone back onto Paul's aura trail, but their bothersome distraction by Skrub and his men nearly allowed most of his trail to vanish into the sands of Orre. Ash walked the whole way with Anabel carried on his back, with her limp arms wrapped around his neck and her legs carried under his arms. It was his burden to bear after the recent events that had transpired against him. He was too reckless as always and nearly lost another one close to him. The Robo Lucario and Cresselia were fortunately also built with an autopilot, which was another ingenious program built by the eccentric Dr. Kaminko before they left his home. The two modes of transportation had locked onto Ash's unique aura signature, loyally following him as his Lucario continued to lead the way into a bleak future.

_These past few days have been some of the worse_, Ash thought, looking down upon the shapeless sand he walked upon with the light weight of Anabel's head resting upon the nape of his neck. _Paul leaves and I lose it. I lose it and I hurt Anabel. Anabel gave up a lot of her energy to save our Pokémon because of my impatience. What have I been doing wrong?_

_You're allowing your concern over the most insignificant things cloud your mind, that's what!_ a familiar, rough voice roared, echoing out in the back of Ash's mind. The young Aura Guardian's head jerked up, quickly scanning the boundless desert horizon in front of him. Besides the fatigued Lucario slowing his pace for him to catch up, there was no one else out there.

_Funny… I could have sworn that we finally caught up to you, Paul_, Ash replied, forming a cool expression on his face. His own mind started to play tricks against him, berating him upon his decisions between the smart choice and the right choice in the past circumstances.

_Hmph, you're never going to catch up unless you can clear your mind of meaningless distractions and focus on the prize_, Paul's voice advised darkly. _What concerns you the most right now, Ketchum?_

_Well, aside from you ditching us—._

_That was my decision alone!_ Paul interrupted, his lingering voice resonating harshly in his own ears. _And you already know why I left. I have my own problems to deal with and not even you could comprehend the darkness that continues to plague my heart._

_Paul, you didn't have to take them on by yourself_, Ash reasoned, only to realize that he was foolishly reasoning with his own rebellious consciousness. He listened to that brusque chuckle that always rumbled in Paul's throat every time he bore an insult to mind.

_And again with your pathetic proposals of fighting together because you just weren't strong enough and empty encouragement for pointless hope, huh? No wonder Anabel had to almost throw her life away just to save your sorry ass._

_Shut up!_ Ash shouted at the top of his head, wincing from every raw truth that seared against his soul, from every mistake that he would never live down. _You know, I don't have to listen to you._

_So you're just going to allow the world to be consumed in darkness, is that right?_ Paul replied, his sardonic tone mercilessly ripping away at his weakness. _I thought you wanted to become an Aura Guardian for the sake of creatures that you so cherish as your 'friends.' So, where is that faith now, Ash?_

_I… I…_

_You can't put your faith into something that never… existed… in… the first place!_ Paul affirmed in the most austere tone that reverberated in Ash's mind. Ash's eyes jolted wide upon, unable to continue the mind game against his dark consciousness. He panted heavily from the troublesome experience, mentally regaining his perspective over reality. So far, he and a weak Salon Maiden on his back were lost in the middle of the Orre region. Anabel needed a place to rest and there was not a city or some sort of civilization within miles. Ash was tottering at the brink again, attempting to find a way to cope with his recent inabilities. His inner voice, Paul's voice, was right about everything. He had allowed such travesties to occur this far. He tolerated the consequences of every action, whether they were wise decisions or not.

"Rah!" Lucario grunted, alerting Ash to an Oasis Poké Spot up ahead. The location only had a few Hoppip fluttering around in the warm drafts of their rich green flora and large lake of underground water.

_Just remember one thing before you can rest easy for now, hero_, Paul's voice warned, hissing his last word in vehemence. Ash stopped in his desert tracks, preparing for the worst of his callous words. _You're only hurting the one you 'love.' Remember what that pathetic Peon told you before he fled like the coward he was. They're after you now…_

Ash glanced wordlessly into the distance, catching the refracting rays of the sun from the oasis water as he looked around dismally. He slowly rested Anabel by a palm tree while making sure that he did not wake her prematurely, allowing the shade to keep her cool and to help her recover her strength much quicker. Ash softly gazed upon her frail body, unable to accept that his own rashness that nearly made him lose her. He cared about her indeed, but Reverse-Cipher had proven to be quite vengeful and quick to retaliate. He does not know when Skrub or any other member of the vicious organization would ambush him again, eliminating anyone who would get in his way. Things have become much more serious than he could realize. The stakes were graver than before. Ash had earned the wrath of Reverse-Cipher; he was now a head for a bounty. The dangers were risky. Another reckless move would cost him his or Anabel's life.

"I know what I must do," Ash muttered to himself quietly. Pikachu, who had been riding with the Robo Pokémon to make sure they remained functional, looked up to him with a worrisome look shimmering in his deep eyes.

"Pika, Pikapi," Pikachu sighed, sensing the downhearted distresses exuded from his Trainer's aura. It was such a mournful tune that tore into his heart. _He couldn't possibly be thinking…_

"Pikachu, you're my best friend and we'll always have each other's backs," Ash whispered to the relieved Mouse Pokémon, kneeling down by the oasis waters and patting him gently on the head. The young Aura Guardian looked into his own reflection in the clear water contemplatively. He felt his own heavy heart holding him back, hindering his main responsibility to the world. Given with everything that had happened to him, from Paul's departure up to now, Ash had actually considered all of his future plans with meditative thoroughness and was about to face the ultimate decision regarding the safety of his loved one and for his own need to find himself. He was sure to find Paul another day when fighting the ruthless Reverse-Cipher organization, but now it did not seem as important as before.

"Pikapi…?"

"There's just one thing I have to do right after Anabel wakes up, buddy…"

* * *

**Well, I'm sure most of you can guess what Ash is thinking right now. If you somehow catch on, then just know that I'm still in charge. I'm not going to say anything until the first introductory author's notes in my last update before I leave on Friday the 21****st****. Anyway, I hope this chapter made up for the last short one. It was pretty eventful with Ash temporarily relapsing into Paul's stage, Anabel breaking him out of it, and finally Ash getting both a Hitmontop and a long reflection of his reckless mistakes. For a bit of trivia, Lucario's fighting style was supposed to emulate that of famous martial artists, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, with the Bone Rush twirls and swipes of his Metal Claw.**

**Kasuchi, Koichi; I know what picture you've been talking about. I've visited that Japanese **_**Pokémon**_** fan art site by Michikusa a long time ago and I must say, those were some of the best **_**Pokémon**_** fan art I've ever seen, including the ones with Anabel. There was her dressed up as a photographer from the Battle Frontier manga, as Greta, as Marley, and even Ash himself. I've even taken a liking to the AbilityShipping artwork such as the one where she seems to have joined Ash in Diamond and Pearl with a Shinx in her arms and surrounded by Starly and Budew, the two of them sitting by the lake, the two of them building a Snow Pikachu together, and even the one where Ash was possessed by the King of Pokélantis with a worried Anabel by the side. But I've been so preoccupied with other things and haven't been able to put such story ideas formulating in my mind down in time. And I think someone on the site also made a winter story about Ash and Anabel building a Snow Pikachu.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	25. Sayonara

**From your reviews, it would seem that none of you would want to accept the first guess that naturally came to mind. Are you all really that hesitant or am I just **_**that**_** good with words? Anyway, it was bound to happen. I created the scenario for Day Four of the tale, from the future Anabel's feelings towards it up to the dark conflicts from the last chapter. And besides, it adds to the increasing drama and conflict in the story. Even though the main genres of **_**Tale of Stardom**_** are Romance and Adventure, I'd also like to add a bit of Drama, Angst, Tragedy, a bit of Humor, and possibly Fantasy since most of the occurrences that have taken place are beyond many people's wildest dreams.**

**I thank you all again for bearing with me and the **_**Stardom series**_** after all this time. You know who you are if you either reviewed, read and kept quiet, or both. I'm grateful for having come this far and for all of you supporting me to get this far. And I greatly thank those who had wished me luck in starting a new life. **

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

The beautiful, brilliant, red-orange dusk was starting to settle in throughout the expansive sky of the Orre region. The remaining resistance against an insidious, psychotic criminal organization was still at an Oasis Poké Spot, recovering from their recent ordeal of a Reverse-Cipher ambush. Ash was gazing meditatively upon his shimmering reflection upon the placid surface of the water, considering all of the terrible misfortunes he and Anabel had recently suffered. He lost a friend to his dark past, he almost lost Anabel during the Peon ambush, and he was still struggling not to lose his own mind over his past laments that continued to plague him over the safety of his remaining close ones. Even though bad luck could happen to anyone, the young Aura Guardian still harbored a cloud of guilt over the risks, losses, and consequences of his own rashness. He wanted to bring Paul back as the Divine Prophecy had dictated ever since he encountered Cresselia and Darkrai; there needed to be all three in order to take down the Reverse-Cipher organization and rescue Giratina from the artificial shadows that had completely sealed away the door to its heart. Yet his imprudence and intense emotions had blinded him to the obstacles that he and the Salon Maiden could have avoided altogether. They could have been better prepared for such unpredictable traps, but losing Paul made him feel like he broke a promise. It was a promise that he always held true and close to his heart. He was not there for a friend; that was the inner promise that fell apart the moment his dark rival left. Ash had believed that he could not save a friend from his own troublesome past, but it was an individual journey Paul had to take in the guise of taking down Reverse-Cipher as a solo warrior.

"The descendent of aura, a maiden, and a grudging ally," Ash whispered quietly to himself, glancing over to the tree where Anabel was still asleep under his provided covers. He could not see her face under the shade of the palm tree she rested against. "Well, so much for our group dynamics. We barely got out of that trap alive if it wasn't for her and Cresselia's Lunar Dance."

"Pi-ka-chu…?" Pikachu asked, his expression softened and looked as worried as ever. Ash did not look back at the Mouse Pokémon, but merely instead placed a hand on Pikachu's head and gently scratched behind his ears. "Chah…"

"Pikachu, I know that allowing my guilt would get me strangled again, but if I don't take into account my past mistakes, I'm bound to repeat them again… and lose someone precious to me," Ash muttered, turning his head back and went to gaze into the serene oasis water. "I just… I just don't know anything anymore. I've been strictly taught on how to control aura, but so far I'm turning about to be a lousy Aura Guardian if I can't even use aura to prevent my friends from going to the extreme to save my butt."

"Pikapi," Pikachu sighed, finally laying on his stomach upon the fertile, green ground out of boredom and hoped to fall asleep. He could not tolerate Ash's inner negativity and musings without trying to suppress his urge to electrocute him in order to bring back his senses. "Chah…"

"Falling asleep, eh?" Ash commented, smiling amiably at the rather adorable sight of his buddy curling up on his side on the rich grass. The peaceful sight of Pikachu napping right next to him alongside the one with Anabel sleeping under the palm tree's shade gave him much more to ponder over about. _I guess sleeping is the only way to escape the pain of reality…_ He gazed upon his aquatic reflection, which merely looked back at him with the same melancholic expression already present on his dreary young face. _But sooner or later, we can't hide forever from the coldness of reality. We have to stand strong together._

_Hmph, again with the 'we' business,_ Paul's voice intervened, the scornful enunciation of his second-to-last word echoing within the dark corners of Ash's mind. It became apparent to the young Aura Guardian that this haunting would continue to persist and drive him towards the edge of instability until he could understand what his inner dark consciousness, in the voice of his greatest rival, was trying to teach him. _In this world, there is no 'we,' get it?_

_Listen, Paul, but I'm probably never going to understand what you're trying to get at, so just spit it out to me now_, Ash retorted snappily, attempting to build a wall against his consciousness. He became impatient from having to deal with such inner conflicts over right and wrong, dealing with Reverse-Cipher and with his friends. It was all becoming too much for his excessive burden to bear. That was when he heard that gruff, brusque chuckle rumbling within his mind's ears.

_Pathetic… You really haven't been taught much about the real world, have you?_ Paul inquired, his tone rather harsh. Ash did not answer back; he merely blinked glumly as he continued to stare upon his sad reflection in the water. _You're never going to survive against Reverse-Cipher, much less a death grip from Eagun if you keep up that attitude._

_For one thing, you abandoned us and threw aside the prophecy!_ Ash immediately retorted, hardening the tense muscles of his bright face.

_So you're seriously going to rely on predictions and magic tricks in order to get by in life? Is that right?_

_Well… I…_

_You're just as pathetic as ever, Ash Ketchum_, Paul surmised, the cold truth within his voice chilled down Ash's spine. The young Aura Guardian bit his lip. This was a game of psychological warfare he just could not win. He was not experienced enough to deal with his current impasse, dealing with a plethora of delusional villains fixated on having his head on their dinner plate while risking the well-being of those still remaining close to him. He needed to know what he had missed out learning from. _I know for a fact that it's not how you work. No. You were way way more hasty than that, if you recall what happened earlier._

_Just… what are you trying to say?_ Ash asked, his spirit weakened by the lingering pangs of his misgivings and remorse. _I don't want to see Anabel hurt again because of me. I almost failed to protect her when she had to give up her energy to save the Pokémon I sent out against a powerful army. And now because of me, I've become a dangerous bounty for Reverse-Cipher. They want my head and they'll destroy anyone that tries to stop them, including her._ As he lowered his earthly head in humility, pondering on what his next future plan would be, he listened to Paul giving a sigh that felt rather sympathetic. But then again, it was just his inner mind using Paul's semblance in order to motivate him to become stronger against the face of adversary.

_Well, you're wrapped up tightly within your own unbridled emotions, no doubt about it_, Paul muttered calmly, beginning a deeper explanation for Ash to listen intently to. _You should know that only you can solve your own inner problems. In truth, humans and Pokémon are their own individuals, free to create their own identity however they want it to be. You should know. I left your little group to recreate my own self ever since you came into my life with your talk about friendship and encouragement. Anyway, as for you, you rely a lot on the support of your friends to take down greater opponents. You're quite high-strung over them._

_I care about all of my friends and I'd be willing to do anything to protect them_, Ash explained in a way that only he could, as himself. _And Anabel…_

_Anabel? Hmph!_ Paul scoffed; his condescending scorn reverberated within Ash's head as the Aura Guardian started to lose perspective over reality._ You know what? Within the first six years as a Pokémon Trainer, you've never shown any true romantic interest in any girl since then. Back then, you were at the top of your game, willing to take on any challenge with careless abandon. But now, you've become the apprentice of that Breeder friend of yours ever since you hooked up with Anabel._

_There's nothing wrong about Brock!_ Ash shouted, rubbing his temples from the bothersome headache he began to acquire against the argument within his own mind. He temporarily jerked his head around to scan the Oasis Poké Spot's surroundings, only to see that everything had still remained the same; everything was as quiet and peaceful as usual. His only form of company remained fast asleep, as far as he knew. _Anabel… she was really the one who taught me how to love in the way she knew how. It was different than just simple friendship that I shared with all my Pokémon, but I always liked a taking on a new challenge. I mean, there was nothing really left for me after the Sinnoh League Conference and that was when I recalled Scott's offer to become a Frontier Brain, so that I could meet many new eager challengers and how much I could see myself in them. So then, when I passed Anabel's test, I won the greatest prize no Championship or League Conference could ever offer to me. She opened my eyes to her romantic love with the same kind of determination I always had whenever I battled._

_Then maybe it's time to give it back_, Paul suggested in a tone that commiserated the Aura Guardian in his dilemma, yet reinforced his grave attitude towards the distraction of emotions. Ash remained motionless; he did not blink for a moment or show any signs of life. He was even holding his breath, having been astonished by the suggestion itself. Before long, a single muscle in his right hand twitched. The rest of his body was soon reactivated, but wearied from the extreme deliberation over his own future.

_What about Anabel?_ Ash proposed. He could not tell if the tone of his own mental voice had supported or denied the decision. He sounded indifferent and dispassionate, but that only meant that both his entire body and soul were calm and stable. _How will she take this?_

_I thought you just wanted her to be safe from Reverse-Cipher, nothing more_, Paul pointed out, the disposition of his voice returning into its stern, cold tone. _Even in the state she is in now, she is completely defenseless to any attack mainly directed towards you. After all, you're the desired bull's-eye for those pathetic villains to aim at to insure their totalitarian control over Orre… and eventually the whole world. They're despicably underhanded and as you said, will do anything to have your head on their platter. Remember that and next time your pathetic, sorry ass won't have to be saved by anyone but yourself…_

His mysterious, yet comforting suggestion continued to echo into the many corridors of Ash's perplexed mind. Even though that it was not the real Paul he had just conversed with, Ash could tell that every word Paul's voice had whispered into his ear had represented every concern that poured out of his heavy heart. The young Aura Guardian absolutely had no dark intentions on becoming as cold and ruthless as Paul used to be; even Anabel broke him out of such a brutal trance earlier with her own sacrifice. She would never support of him fighting like an uncultivated heathen likes their enemies, but the various members of Reverse-Cipher, on the other hand, have no problem trampling upon the rules if they saw it fit to take what they foolishly believe that belonged to them. Ash was on his own now, making his own rules and decisions from now on. He needed to grow up in order to learn. He needed growth to develop his own self. He needed more experience in surviving within the dark world of Reverse-Cipher. For him to achieve such ends and to fulfill his obligations to the terrified humanity, he needed no distractions. He knew what his true goal was and how to obtain it without falling into the temptations of the dark side.

"I've got a job to do," Ash mumbled solemnly, standing up from his seat on the oasis grass.

* * *

"No… stop…," Anabel moaned, shifting her unconscious body out of the blanket protecting her from the desert atmosphere. The expression on her pale face simply screamed out distress, a need for help, as the rest of her body involuntarily twitched as she continued to face her nightmare. "Please… don't go… don't leave me… alone again…" With a sharp gasp, the Salon Maiden jolted up, wide awake and sweated as though she ran a marathon for cross-country. She discovered her current location as an Oasis Poké Spot with a sort of wrinkled blanket that only covered her legs due to her erratic movements in her sleep. Anabel regained her composure within a second after a cleansing breath, realizing the current circumstances of her situation. _Cresselia? Cresselia, are you still there?_

_Ah! Not so loudly please, Anabel_, Cresselia's voice replied within her mind, sounding rather irritated. The Lunar Pokémon soon heard an inaudible, but sincere apology echo within the unconscious space. _I'm the one who should apologize since I was cranky. But I still haven't recovered much of my energy since you used my Lunar Dance to heal yours and Ash's Pokémon._

_Then why was I having a nightmare?_ Anabel asked, quietly ruffling the blanket in her hands.

_For some reason, your emotions were acting out at a fevered pitch_, Cresselia explained, followed by a dawning hum from the Salon Maiden. _Anyway, they somehow grew beyond my control of healing deep emotional scars within a person. And given my current state, I couldn't stand a chance against your repressed feelings._

_But I'm not repressing anything, Cresselia_, Anabel claimed, pausing her corporeal moment before placing a finger by her chin as a contemplative gesture. _Am I? _

_Oh, really?_ Cresselia queried, her tone resonated skeptically. _Please tell me, my dear. Whatever it's supposed to be, what is your worst fear?_ Anabel nearly had a fit from the sudden question; her lilac eyes widened from the abrupt fright. She did not even expect such a personal question at this time from the Lunar Pokémon. _You know who I am and what I'm capable of, right? You should have no more duress from your fear by the time I'm done with you._

_Cresselia, first off, it's not that simple to take away one's fears!_ Anabel scolded. She could sense Cresselia's regret of asking such a personal question and her complete respect for reasoning out to her on taking the mature path of growth. _If you did that, then how will society grow without any strife to push them to be their best and survive?_

_I understand what you're getting at, Anabel_, Cresselia's voice replied kindly. _But then, it shouldn't be a problem for you to face your worse fears if you truly feel strongly about your previous sentiment._ Anabel gulped nervously, suddenly discovering that her will to support her statement had retracted back within her hollow shell. Cresselia felt the brief surge of self-doubt, but she did not hold it against the Salon Maiden. She was still a human that was allowed her share of mistakes, even though her delicate heart was at the right place. _We'll take it one step at a time in conquering your fears, whatever they may be._

"Thanks, Cresselia," Anabel whispered with a sweet smile, gingerly removing the warm blanket Ash covered with while keeping her right hand over her beating red heart.

Speaking of the Aura Guardian, she discovered him standing over the oasis water edge like the divine figure he was in her eyes as the evening sun radiated upon his unwavering personage. His back was turned to her, beckoning her to join him in the peaceful moment as the messy black hair free from his cap fluttered in the gentle oasis breeze. Anabel just could not resist such a dreamy scene where her loved one was standing by a lake edge with the warmth of the sun against his face and the wind flowing through his hair. It was a classic romantic moment, no doubt, and she wanted to be a part of it so that Ash would not have to go through it alone. Anabel slowly got to her feet with the tree as her support. Her limbs were still numb from the early rest, but she could feel her vigorous blood pumping through them with no constrictions left.

"Morning, sleepy-head," Ash said, looking back at her as she approached him with a mild grin present on his face. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" The Salon Maiden giggled to herself as those were the exact same words she whispered to him upon his recovery from the rematch against Paul, from the generalized term of endearment down to the standard question.

"It's not even night yet, silly," Anabel replied as Ash gently brought his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. "So what have you been up to?"

"Just waiting for you to get better," Ash mumbled, his compliant voice fading out as his heart began to race. _Among other thoughts…_ His withdrawn face flushed even redder upon receiving a huge, wet kiss on the cheek from the Salon Maiden herself, tingling all over as her innocent laughter resonated his ear drums.

"You're always so thoughtful and considerate towards others, Ash," Anabel whispered, curling her thin arms around his arm while quickly planting another kiss on his already damp cheek. Ash averted his quiet gaze away from her, unable to look at her beaming disposition. "There couldn't have been a better man than you for a lucky lady like me."

The young Aura Guardian did not know why she was acting like this towards him, making the decision he had come to grips with his own consciousness so difficult. He convinced himself that she might still be fatigued from the day's occurrences, perhaps in dreamland. Maybe it was better for her to remain in her dreamland, just so that he would not have to see Reverse-Cipher Peons and Admins come after her with dangerous, malicious intents. Ash quickly glanced at the Salon Maiden, who merely looked at the gorgeous sunset with a shimmering, loving look in her lilac eyes.

_Such purity and beauty, saving it all just for me_, Ash thought, silently gazing in content amazement upon the rays of sunlight sparkling upon her pastel skin. _It's now or never…_ He could not bear the thought of such innocence marred due to being involved in his own intense affairs against the rancorous Reverse-Cipher organization. Paul leaving the team behind only proved that nothing could ever be certain in life. There can be no true prophecy or prediction. Ash was chosen to stop Reverse-Cipher in Orre because no one else had the strength and courage to confront the vicious cowards themselves. He had already become the greatest Pokémon Trainer of his time. He knew that Anabel came with him to the Orre region because she cared about him. She loved him and could not let him face the shadowy danger alone. When it finally came to Ash for remembering why Paul followed him here, he only thought about their last interaction before his defection.

_You are… my friend…_ Paul's hollow words resonated in the dusk background as a result of his nostalgic imagination.

_I can't stand this anymore!_ Ash thought powerfully, tightening his own fists until he feel his own nails cutting through the flesh of his finger, squeezing out fresh blood from the small paled cuts. The simple truth became clear as it swelled within his throat. He could never rest soundly as long as Anabel was in danger just by simply being next to him. Circumstances against Reverse-Cipher have become gravely dire. The team was falling apart because of his rash abandon and all caution thrown into the wind just for imaginary hope. He realized that he had to protect her from anything, even from himself. "Anabel, you got a second?"

"Is there something wrong, Ash?" Anabel queried, her tone sounding calm and well-mannered. He glanced at her and noticed the swift change of her expression, noticing that the beaming smile had fallen away and left her worried lips to slightly quiver. She had somehow caught on to his inner conflicts storming about in his soul; there was no surprise since his heart had become somewhat of an open book to her throughout their time together. The Salon Maiden could feel the restless anxiety stirring within her lover, but she does not know what exactly troubled Ash, not yet anyway.

"You know how much I care about you, right?" Ash started, to which Anabel nodded without hesitation. She still did not look like she knew what he was trying to refer to. "You know how much I want to protect you from anything, right?" Again, the Salon Maiden nodded, but she kept her suspicions to herself. "And I mean from _anything_…" The startling realization started to dawn upon Anabel; her eyes slowly widened as her mouth slowly gasped for breath, trying to stay alive. She understood the path Ash was heading toward, yet remained collected and faked a smile for him.

"Yeah, but it was just _one_ time and I _promise_ to be a lot more careful with myself," Anabel replied, keeping her white teeth clenched together as she continued to smile. Ash shook his head somberly, breaking her smile and unveiling the true nature of her opinions against the Aura Guardian's upsetting decision. "Ash… Why are you even thinking about _that _in the first place?!" She quickly regained her cool, attempting to remain as civilized as possible to reason him out.

"Anabel, it's not just going to be one time," Ash explained. He knew that he needed to say a lot more than just that. Anabel was a bright young woman. She would catch on to many situations pretty quickly, whether they were good or bad. The young Aura Guardian could already tell that she was not going to give him up without a fight. "That incident with those relentless Peons, which followed Paul's defection—."

"Oh, I see," Anabel interrupted, her tone sounding rather brisk and icy. "It _always_ has to be about Paul, doesn't it? How many times have we been over this already? _You_ are who you are, Ash. You can _never_ become strong following his slipshod, brutal example!"

"It's not about Paul anymore, got it?!" Ash immediately retorted, sooner regretting it as Anabel froze in horrified anguish upon his retaliation. "It's _me_! I can't have you throw yourself in danger because of my failures, especially when we're dealing with a bunch of psychopaths that desperately want my head. My _head_, Anabel!"

"That's why we're supposed to be a _team_!" Anabel cried, emphasizing the main point on why she should remain traveling with him. She was nearly hysterical, practically driven to tears, but she kept herself steady just to prove to Ash that she could survive in this world with him. "Have you already forgotten the Divine Prophecy Cresselia keeps telling to us every week since our seven-month training in Iron Island up to now?"

"The Divine Prophecy was discarded the moment Paul tossed us aside for his journey for solo redemption," Ash muttered grimly, looking upon the ground and slowly turned away from the distraught Salon Maiden. "We were able to survive without him, but that was because _we_ form our own destinies now, Anabel. Cresselia's words were nothing more than guidelines on how to save the world from a Giratina corrupted by horrible humans. In truth, we're on our own here now. I just care too much about you to put you at risk like that. I'm really sorry about this, Anabel." Just before he was about to walk away and end the emotional pain before it got out of hand, Ash felt a slight moderate tap on his shoulder from behind him.

"Ash?"

"What—?"

_SLAP!_

"Did that knock some sense in your brain yet?" Anabel asked, retracting her redden hand back to her side. Her pastel face was hardened like a perfectly carved statue, cleared of her own emotions in order to confront Ash in his playing field. This was, however, excluding the small downpour of bitter tears streaming from the round corners of her once jocular lilac eyes. She fiercely glared at the stubborn Aura Guardian, who barely flinched from the slap. The action, however, was loud enough for Pikachu to wake up and witness the poignant altercation between his Trainer and the Salon Maiden. The Mouse Pokémon noticed that the left side of Ash's face had a swelling red mark with the exact size and shape as Anabel's right hand, yet the pain did not register to him. The insufferable anguish of his past reckless mistakes plaguing his heart was a greater pang to him than whatever the wrathful Salon Maiden could ever inflict on him as of now.

"Is that all you wish to unleash on me…?" Ash queried, sounding rather submissive, yet unconcerned about the slap she gave him. He examined the wound for himself, softly touching upon her hand's mark with a dull, meek look in his eyes.

"Ash, why are you doing this to me? To _us_…?" Anabel whispered through her trembling lips. It was as though her previous anger had completely vanished out of her mortal body, having served its purpose on attaining the Aura Guardian's undivided attention. She gingerly approached him with her arms folding behind her back, ensuring that she no longer meant any harm to him. Her pale face was distorted in despair once again as her tears began to reform under the corners of her tired eyes. She suddenly placed herself against Ash's body; the latter was as stable as a mountain, even with her small weight leaning against him. The Salon Maiden tearfully caressed the wound on his face that she began to regret.

"Anabel, I told you," Ash muttered, lightening himself to be as sympathetic as he could. "I care about you _too_ much to put you in all this danger now that it's coming out of the woodworks in the form of a vengeful crowd."

"You think that toying with my emotions is funny?"

"No… It's never funny when someone very close to me is hurt and in pain," Ash whispered, slowly taking the crying Salon Maiden under his arms for a warm embrace. Anabel laid her weary head upon his fit chest, sobbing quietly as she tried to contain the wild sniffles erupting from her spilled tears all over her face. Her gleaming tears broke away from her face, dropping around her feet and breaking apart like glittering pieces of crystal.

"Ash, can't you s-s-see… by breaking up w-with me… you're just… g-going to h-hurt me _more_?"

"This would have been quick and painless otherwise."

Her vibrant eyes, whose lilac pupils were swimming underneath her sorrowful tears, suddenly jerked wide open. She never expected such a careless, offhand answer from him like that. Anabel wanted to believe that her doubts and fears were making her hallucinate. She wanted to believe that she was still asleep, recovering her lost strength from before. She wanted to believe that this heartrending scenario was nothing more than a nightmare, whether it was conjured by Paul using Darkrai's powers just to torment her or created by her unstable fears coming true before her eyes in her mind. She tried to vigorously shake her head awake while it still lying upon Ash's resilient chest, but the attempt was utterly pointless. She was wide awake to the horrible reality that had begun to settle in around her. Her whole world was coming apart and her worst fear was coming back to haunt her. She felt alone again inside, something she prayed that would never ever come back to her. All she could do was sob furiously as the damage continued to spread throughout her fragile, crystal heart until it cracked apart and shattered into fragmented pieces.

_Anabel, snap out of this!_ Cresselia's voice wailed from within her head. _Your tears over Ash are meaningless, especially since I have the ability to heal even a sufferer's worse psychological scar._

_What's the point?!_ Anabel wept, continuing to cry her bleeding heart out into Ash's chest, listening to his lamenting heartbeats. _The true love of my life is leaving me because of his ridiculous concern over my safety. There's nothing anyone can do for me now, not even you, Cresselia! _

_Get a hold of yourself!_ Cresselia scolded in an almost panic-stricken tone. _Anabel, your worst fear, now I see… Wait! What… What are you—?! No… No…! NO!_ The Lunar Pokémon's frantic screams were soon drowned out within Anabel's mind. She had been forcibly isolated into the furthest corners of her mind, unable to help or heal as long as the distressed Salon Maiden refused to use the key to open the cage. After all, this was Anabel's problem alone to deal with her forthcoming inconsolable heartbreak.

"Ash, please don't leave me… all alone again…," Anabel pleaded, her quiet voice trembling from the twinges inflicted upon her painful, breaking heart. She moved her shivering hands on his chest, shifting them around as though she was urgently trying to find something there. "The darkness… where is it…?" Ash shook his head, breathing softly upon her as the intoxicating lavender scent from her hair entered his constant breathing pace flowing through his nostrils.

"There is no darkness in my heart, Anabel," Ash muttered, noticing another despondent tear glittering at the corner of her left eye, wiping it off tenderly. "There is only love, which is why I can't put you in any more increasing danger against Reverse-Cipher." The Salon Maiden's erratic sobs had calmed down, but she continued to sniffle as though she had violent hiccups. She could not accept the blunt insight; she was not ready to let go him. She only had one last chance to change his ultimate decision, to make him recognize that they need each other now more than ever in these gloomy latter days.

"I love you, Ash Ketchum," Anabel whispered, putting behind those exact words of her feelings towards the Aura Guardian with all the emotional anguish that tormented her. New tears started to form in her lilac eyes, but a moment soon after, she sensed that Ash's heart had skipped a beat from her powerful words. Ash gazed upon her, melancholy sizzling in his darkened auburn eyes.

"Anabel… I… love you, too," Ash mumbled back, lowering his head in hushed modesty.

Anabel could have sworn that she spotted a small regretful tear sparkling at the back of his eye. She was not going to give him up without a fight. She loved him and always did, no matter what mistakes he made or his flaws were. He was still a human, just like her. Imperfect, yet always striving for perfection to be remembered in the sands of history by; Ash was a unique soul with compelling aura that stood out from the rest, just as her empathetic abilities made her stand out from other high-caliber Trainers.

"I can finally see the ultimate progress in his striking brown eyes…," Anabel began, her voice crooning tender love. Ash slightly lifted his head up, gazing deeply into her shimmering, tear-stained lilac eyes. She was pulling out the big stops now to pull him back to her, ultimately referring back to the past moments of their life when their true love was finally born. "Even the cute Pikachu on his comfortable shoulder is overjoyed to tears… He returned from his adventure at a faraway land to start anew… And along the way, he had acquired an enlightened new mind…" The Salon Maiden caressed the reddened cheek on his face that she slapped with all her might earlier with the same hand, feeling the physical tarnish again for herself. "I nearly fainted from excitement upon discovering his striking, matured growths… But I know that I can still feel his powerful heart had remained open and sure… When he finally could read my delicate heart, his aura blazed as passionately as mine did…" The Salon Maiden was inching higher to Ash's face, slowly coming to the tips of her toes to reach his height. "My happiness became eternal once he finally knew I love him with my open heart…"

"I can finally see through the cosmic universe within her shimmering lilac eyes…," Ash recited softly, earning Anabel's incredulous gaze and gaping mouth. Since she had started, he might as well end this once and for all. "Her sweet and forgiving nature knew no bounds, even when dealing with my own rash flaws… I had finally returned to see the Salon Maiden in her faithful wait as I was just passing by… A person could only imagine this shock of mine when I saw her own miraculous change through time…" He twirled a tuft of Anabel's tidy hair with his fingers; its silky fineness felt pleasing to his roughened skin. "There was just no way anyone could mistake her for a boy now… Even I could hear her beautiful aura sing like a flower happily dancing in the wind… Our growth upon separation made us both strong and I finally saw her heart for all it was…" He started to lean forward so that she did not have to strain herself on matching his height on her tiptoes. "Now that I know that she truly loves me, it would be fitting that I love her back with an open heart…"

Their heads went in closer. The twilight rays of the evening sun shone against the side of their bodies. Their gentle lips joined together and shared one final kiss that would decide it all. Ash's remorse and Anabel's grief were melded together by the passionate warmth that they had always shared since they were together nearly over a year ago. There was no movement from either two as long as their mouths were pressed upon each other and continued to share a sensitive moment mutually. Both of them wished that their bliss could just remain like this for the rest of their lives, but at this moment, it was just not a viable option. A scarred psychopath was still out on the loose, hiding behind his team of incompetent Peons and their ultimate weapon to unleash the apocalypse upon the terrified world of humanity and Pokémon. The least Ash felt that he could do was to preserve his lover; at least he could fight without knowing that she would be in mortal danger. Reverse-Cipher was obsessed on having his head, making him their sole target and bounty. The two of them broke out of their demonstrative, passionate kiss, returning to glance into each other's sullen eyes.

"Ash, please… don't go," Anabel pleaded for the last time. The young Aura Guardian could literally feel her breaking heart pounding out of her chest, the rapid pace of her flowing blood making her entire body quiver. "Come back… to me…"

"Someday," Ash replied, solemnly looking down and averting her painful, watery gaze. No matter how much the Salon Maiden tried, it only proved to Ash that her safety mattered to him the most. It only reinforced his decision to put her on the side, to remove her from his dangerous life so that her immaculate complexion would never be marred by those pursuing after him. He knew that Anabel was strong enough to fend for herself from virtually anything, but the cruel members of Reverse-Cipher were restless, losing more and more of their sanity until they finally achieved their horrible ends. He placed the palm of his right hand on her forehead, brushing away a few of her lilac bangs.

"What are you doing…?" Anabel asked, sniffling calmly as she gave up wiping away her persistent tears of devastated hope.

"Just remember that I'm now doing all of this for you… out of love," Ash explained. A soft blue light emanated from his palm, radiating against Anabel's forehead. The Salon Maiden suddenly felt her consciousness slipping out of her reach, her dilated and distressed eyes falling into a deep slumbering spell. She did not bother fighting against it. Her crystal heart was shattered and she felt all alone for the first time in years. "Anabel… thank you…" The least Ash did for her was show gratitude for her loving kindness and persistence to be with him for eternity. Certain circumstances, however, had forced his hand and made him change plans. Anabel was not still fully asleep, still tottering in between the realms of the mortal world and the dream world. "I can never repay you for all that you have done for me. I know that as long as you continue following me, you'll receive nothing but grief and pain. This is for the best." He noticed that Anabel's body had started to wobble from the lack of conscious control. He brought his left arm around her slender waist and held her up. "It will be… as if I did not exist…"

Ash's last words blurred out in her ears. The Salon Maiden finally collapsed out of the complete drain of her released misery. Ash held her frail body in his wiry arms, carrying the lifeless shell of his loved one back under the tree she rested under. He curled her body in order to tuck in the blanket around her. He believed that it would be best to leave her in this temporary haven until she was wide awake and back on her feet.

"Pi-ka-chu…?" Pikachu's inquiring squeak asked. Ash looked back and discovered the discontented Mouse Pokémon staring at him for his actions, of breaking Anabel's heart in order to keep her safe from the real perils that sought after him.

"She'll get over it before you know it, Pikachu," Ash muttered, ensuring that her entire body was covered within the warmth of his provided covers. He gazed upon her peaceful, yet forlorn expression, still stained from her dejected tears. "At another time when the world is safe again and there isn't a single Shadow Pokémon running amuck in the streets, I'll come back for her… if she wants me to."

The young Aura Guardian felt something stir within himself. He believed that the time was right. He opened up his backpack and searched for a certain something. It was not too hard for him to find it as it came out in his hand neatly folded. Ash had taken out the garbs of the Aura Guardians of old, given to him by Riley before he left Iron Island with Anabel and Paul to start the ultimate venture in the Orre region. It reminded him of the Sir Aaron costume he wore back at the festival held within the halls of Cameran Palace, back when he was beginning to travel Kanto again with May, Max, and Brock. However, the garb was not a cheap costume, but a real, tailored uniform befitting for a powerful Aura Guardian. It was mainly composed of a rugged, silver-black cape with a hood. Folded within the black cloak was a pair of gauntlets that most Aura Guardians used for better control over releasing their aura. Both gauntlets had that peculiar pattern with a sort of jewel on the back. On top was a deep blue fedora hat with a black band, similar to Riley's own hat. The only difference was that Ash's new hat had the revered golden crest of the royal Cameran family of Kanto imprinted on the front.

_Wear this when you finally come to terms of your destiny_, Riley's advising voice echoed within his recollection. _Good luck in Orre with your friends, heir of Sir Aaron. The aura is with you, Ash._

"The aura… is with me," Ash repeated to himself. He took off his old hat he wore since his journey in the Sinnoh region and placed the blue fedora over his messy black hair. He stood up and tied the cape around his neck, allowing its mysterious cover to portray his maturing nature. Pikachu ran up to him and leapt back on his shoulder without question, willing to follow his best friend to the ends of the earth to help him thwart Reverse-Cipher.

"Pika, Pikachu?" Pikachu queried, indicating the old cap still in Ash's hands. The both of them glanced back at the sleeping Salon Maiden under the tree as the dusk started to leave the sky. Exchanging nods of agreement, Ash went over to her and placed his hat on her head, making sure it snuggly took the shape of her head as a mere trinket to remember him by, a memento to help her stay strong for him.

"I promise you'll get over this soon," Ash whispered to her sleeping form. He noticed a tear involuntarily shedding out from the corner of her eye, gently wiping it off before anything else. "You'll be safe away from me." The melancholic Aura Guardian pulled the hood of his cape over his head, concealing his identity so that no one could trace his face. Before he could leave the Oasis Poké Spot, he heard heartrending moans escape the slightly open lips of the sleeping Salon Maiden.

"Don't… leave me… all alone…"

Ash could not bear the momentary pain of grief. Before he could even come to regret his choice, he abruptly turned his back and left. It was just him and Pikachu now. He was wandering the lands of Orre alone. To think, the trio once held strong and true to each other, but unforeseen tensions and overzealous concerns had broken the bonds. Paul was long gone, wherever he was in the world now. However, the grudging ally did swear that he was going to face Reverse-Cipher on his own terms. Whether he actually stood a chance against the increasing lunacy of the powerful criminal organization or not, Ash was on his way to stop them for good. He was not about to let them get away destroying everything that was once pure and untainted by their vicious hands. He was going to lead them into his own playing field, ensuring that the innocent lives of millions, including Anabel's, were spared in exchange for his own. He had the power. The aura was with him.

"Sayonara, Salon Maiden… Anabel…"

"Pika Pikachu…"

As Ash left to face his own destiny, a cold, fell wind blew across the Oasis Poké Spot. It swept up his old Sinnoh cap off of Anabel's head, taking it afar into the unknown reaches of Orre's sands. Its fate was left to the wind, just as Ash's future against the possible horrors to come and rise against him.

* * *

"Mom, are you okay?" Leon asked, his tone urgent. His mother was sniffling silently, clasping her hands over her face so that her children would not have to behold her wretchedness.

"I'm alright," Anabel replied quickly, standing up without looking at her worried twins. "I need to be alone…" She quickly departed from the living room and up the stairs, her lamenting cries softly echoing down the halls. Leon glanced at his sister, who bore the same sensitive look on her face as tears started to drip down her flushed cheeks.

"What's going to happen, Leon?" Lila queried, her voice choked from a sob.

"I don't know," Leon whispered, tightening his lips into a straight, unreadable line. Never before had they seen their own mother break down into tears since their birth, but that was an instance that they were too young to even remember. Lila went to him, hugging him as tightly as she could for comfort as she began to cry loudly from sharing her mother's pain. Leon felt the sharp pangs attacking his little heart as well, but he was still young and composed as most young children were. He understood what was going on, but he had not learned how to properly express grief since he never really saw Anabel cry until now. "But we both now know of Mom's worst memory…"

* * *

**You can either call me a plot master… or a plot monster. That's right. Ash broke up with Anabel out of utter concern for her safety, which I believe is a classic protagonist quality in many famous novels like **_**Harry Potter**_** or even the **_**Twilight series**_**, by Stephanie Meyer. Some of you were actually correct, but hesitated on confirming it, which makes my job as a fan fiction writer ever satisfying. I guess that was where I got the inspirations from, seeing as from the seventh book, if you've already read it, that Harry breaks up with Ginny before collecting Horcruxes. As for the **_**Twilight series**_**, I have to thank my friend for introducing me to them. She recommended that I give them a chance, and amazingly, she was right. They are not that bad, though I haven't found much time to read them lately. One of Ash's lines before leaving Anabel, the "as if I never existed," actually came from **_**New Moon**_**.**

**I also used two stanzas from the last verse of my recent AbilityShipping poem, **_**Ode to an Open Heart**_**, just to add to the heartrending emotion. After all, it's my poem and I'm free to do whatever I please with it. Anyway, my reason for breaking them up is the same reason I'm going to college: growth. I learned in life that a person can never receive true happiness without suffering through horrible trials. This is the hardest trial for either one to face: their separation. However, even though I said that growth is beneficial, not all kinds of growth are good. You'll see what I mean the next time I get to update, if ever…**

**I know that there are a lot more of you out there reading. While I appreciate that you've taken the time to read, I would also love to hear what you have to say about my chapters. I'm already thankful for the various feedback and reviews others have given me, to show that they **_**are**_** interested in this story. I want to know if you're also interested in this story, what your thoughts are about this chapter. After everything that has happened, there's no way you could remain quiet behind your computer screens. **

**Also, check out the new poll on my profile page. It is about the first half.**

**Well, until the next time I'm free, I part and leave good wishes to all of you that helped me this far with your support and ideas. Remember who I am. I am… the Master of Eloquence… the Twister of Plots… I am… the mysterious Mister P! **

**And now, I leave all of this with the same name I aptly bestowed upon this chapter:**

**Sayonara! **


	26. Memories

**The Twister of Plots has come back again, like the second wind of a weary hero! **

**Well, I made it through the first few days of college life, packing up and moving on from home, and it… is… **_**sweet**_**. But then again, it's only the beginning and the work load will double up soon enough. So with the extra spare time I was able to ascertain, I gradually worked on this chapter, the beginning of the second half of **_**Tale of Stardom**_**. This should bring us back on track and hopefully give us a chance to start anew. Still, I cannot guarantee that it might be up to my natural writing standards, but I still hope to get around every now and then.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

A grieving silence had befallen the Ketchum residence, isolated from the public activity of Pallet Town. Not much could have been said for how it happened or why, but it was known that the former Salon Maiden had managed to share her worst memory to her own children before the cold hollowness of the sorrowful nostalgia had driven her to tears. Anabel was last heard from in her room and slightly past noon. Her children waited around her closed door, overhearing her lamenting sniffles and quiet, mournful wails since she ran out in front of them. Both Lila and Leon were at an end, unable to comprehend the depths of her hidden sorrow. She had done her best to raise and provide for them; for that, the twins were truly grateful and appreciative of her role as a single, strong mother. They could nothing, but exchange somber glances as their culminated ideas on how to cheer up their mother in order to continue the tale had still remained empty. They just did not know what to do in this kind of situation.

"Hey, kids!" a jovial, elderly voice greeted them. They saw Grandmother Delia walking towards them down the hall with a cheery smile on her somewhat vibrant face.

"Hi, Grandma," Leon and Lila replied, their tones dismal as they faked a smile. In all of her years of living in Pallet Town, Delia had never seen their bright faces express such gloom. She had figured the cause as soon as she reached Anabel's room.

"How is she doing so far?" Delia asked, gesturing at the door with her thumb.

"She had told us the part where she had to give up most of her energy to revive hers and Dad's Pokémon during that horrible ambush," Lila explained, anxiously intertwining her fingers together, apparently distressed by the state of her mother.

"And finally up to the point where our 'noble' father left her because of his great concern for her," Leon finished, shrugging.

"Please don't speak ill of the MIA, Leon," Delia requested earnestly, clasping her hands to her chest as though she was praying for her own survival in the heat of danger. "If it wasn't for your father, our world wouldn't currently be in such a state of harmony for years to come. No one knew of his true fate upon confronting Shadow Giratina upon its untimely purification." She placed her hands upon each of her grandchildren's shoulders, sincerely looking at both of the youngsters into their eyes. "None of us know if or when disaster will strike. It's bound to happen because the world, in order to maintain its happiness, must prove itself in several trials. If both Pokémon and humankind can continue to work together for the next few years I'm still alive and kicking, then I can finally rest with a smile."

"Maybe, but right now, _we_ have a disaster," Lila pointed out, using her eyes to direct Delia to the door standing in the way between them and her crying mother in the other room. The elderly figure smiled, embracing the both of them in a wide hug to reassure them that Anabel will recover soon.

"Your dad really meant a lot to her, and still did after they reconciled from that breakup," Delia added softly, mildly shuddering upon the momentary recollection when Anabel shared the traumatic experiences with her. "You'd be amazed to learn the lengths both she and Ash went to repair their relationship. You might even feel like being shocked by Pikachu's Thunderbolt when you hear about their individual ventures, but I'm afraid that I'm not the right person to share it with you at this time."

"But then, if Mom can't do it and you won't, then how will we learn about more of their past before we leave on our journey?" Leon queried, which incited a rough elbow bump from his sister into his thin side. The twin that took after his mother winced from the sharp pain, rubbing it off to make it go away before glaring back at Lila. "You know you're just as curious about what happened as I do, _sister_."

"But what about Mom? Did you even take her current feelings into account?" Lila interrogated after ignoring Leon, her tone sounding rather nagging and irritating after the repetition of her point. Delia placed a hand on each of their heads, prompting them to quiet themselves upon the gentle touch.

"I'll tend to her," Delia said to Lila, tentatively placing a hand on the door knob. "You two go play and take care before supper. A few more days and you'll be able to see the world for yourselves." Without another word, both Lila and Leon nodded to respect her wishes of helping Anabel recover. Returning into their energetic, youthful selves, they quickly ran off right after they had tiptoed down the hallway as not to disturb their mother.

"So, now what do we do?" Lila asked as they both ran down the living room. Leon stopped completely in his tracks while his sister had to skid into a halt, nearly crashing into Delia's rare tea set from Snowpoint City on the central table in the living room. "You know, you could've given me a warning!"

"Sorry, but you did raise a point," Leon replied, pondering with a hand under his chin as he looked up to the blank ceiling. "With Mom still upset over the memory of her breakup, there's no way we can learn more about the tale now. Heck, we're a bunch of nine-year old kids who don't know how to have a good time without getting into big trouble."

"This _is_ troubling…," Lila groaned, shaking her head while all the more unable to come up with a proper solution. She paced around her brother in a rather fastidious manner, grumbling incoherently as Leon remained calm and meditative at the center. "What to do… what _to_ do… I could use some help here!" From the corner of her eye, she spotted Leon's hand on her shoulder, freezing her on the spot as it was his turn to speak.

"Want to visit the house Pokémon?" Leon suggested nonchalantly, a cool look reflective in his dark-shaded eyes. Lila merely stared in disbelief at him, wondering why she had not thought about it in the first place. "Maybe Pikachu and Espeon might have a clue about our parents." His sister furrowed her thin eye brow, her left eye twitching.

"So you're suggesting that our substitute storyteller is to be a Pokémon, a creature whose language that _I_ can't understand?!" Lila articulated, advancing into an uncomfortable range in front of Leon. "It's not fair that _you_ can understand the feelings of Pokémon and _I _can't! Just because you took after Mom's side of reading Pokémon emotions doesn't mean that you get to flaunt them off every waking moment!"

"Okay then," Leon mused quietly, rubbing his hands together calmly with another solution on mind. While she had spoke the truth about his abilities in relation to their mother's, Leon also knew that she was much strong than he was, in terms of physical and spiritual development. He could practically feel that her aura, despite Lila's current lack of control, had great potential. Nonetheless, he did not hold it against her and proceeded with a compromise concerning Pikachu and Espeon continuing the tale where Anabel had left off. "How about I act as a translator for them to you? That way, we both can listen to what they can offer up to us."

"Sounds good to me," Lila replied, shrugging as though she had no other choice. She was willing to take on anything that would relieve her and Leon of their current boredom and concern for their grief-stricken mother. "Lead the way."

With the both of them finally negotiating a sort of terms of agreement, the twins quickly ran out of the living room in search for the Pokémon. Without wasting any more time, Lila and Leon went to the one place they would often find Pikachu, Espeon, and their recently new eggs located at. The backyard; it was the one place that provided fresh air, sunshine, and a peaceful ambience in contrast to the somewhat desolate gloom that befell their household residence. It was, no doubt, a proper place to ensure the safety and proper growth of their eggs until they were mature enough to hatch and take form into the predicted baby Pokémon. Before the two of them could fall into slumber induced by the soothing wind caressing their fur, their ears twitched upon listening to hastened, approaching footsteps. Pikachu and Espeon lifted their heads up off their protected eggs, glancing upon the approaching twins that paused before them in order to regain their breaths upon each pant.

"Pika, Pikachu?" Pikachu asked them, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Pikachu, Espeon, we've got a _big_ favor to ask of you guys," Lila explained, straightening herself after catching up with her breath. The two house Pokémon merely exchanged glances as Leon stepped forward with a clearer explanation to his sister's plea.

"You know what we're talking about," Leon added, clearing his throat. They stared at him intently, warning him of the next few words that he was about to say. While slightly intimidated by their gazes, Leon held his ground, especially when lightly shoved by Lila for him to get closer. "We mean what happened _after_ Ash broke up with our Mom." Espeon's eyes widened furiously, as though as she was greatly offended by his facts and was about ready to pounce as retribution.

"Pika," Pikachu intervened, attempting to soothe Espeon out of her abrupt rage upon the horrible, forced memory of her best friend. The Sun Pokémon palpably detested, with a burning passion, sharing that specific memory of when Anabel suffered the most, the day that innocence had died, and the fates of the chosen three heroes were thrown aimlessly into the wind. Pikachu knew how she felt about the whole thing, but almost more than ten years have passed since the heartbreaking incident between Ash and Anabel. "Pika, Pika Pikachu Pikapi. Pi Pika Pikachu, Pika-chu." It was time to move on. It was time that the children of their respective close friends knew the truth

"E-fie," Espeon mewled softly, lowering her head in compliance and allowed Pikachu to continue where Anabel had left off, under his best friend's perspective as they traveled since then. Leon smiled at his mother's Pokémon, grateful that she was finally above such anger over the unpleasant incident. He was ready to take the tale from Pikachu's mouth and translate it to Lila in his own voice.

"Pika, Pi Pikapi—."

"Wait!" Lila interrupted, receiving the aggravated glares of both the Pokémon and even her own brother with her intrusion. "Pikachu, before you go on with the tale for Leon to play back to me, I really want to know more about Mom."

"Huh?!" Leon grunted disbelievingly.

"Listen, I actually feel strange upon forcing the request of the tale's continuation on you two," Lila explained, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. Leon continued to stare at her incredulously, unable to fully comprehend the sudden change of his sister's somewhat rash demeanor. "After seeing Mom so sad and alone, I couldn't help but feel how she was like when she was around my age, possibly younger."

"Pika…?" Pikachu asked as her implications for a new story had slowly come together into a completed puzzle. Espeon gazed upon her intently, predicting the next set of words that would seal her ultimate request for enlightenment over her own mother.

"I want to know my mother's childhood," Lila finally admitted in a steady tone, returning the somber gaze towards Espeon. "Espeon, since you know Mom more than anyone else here, would you please share what she was like as a kid?" The Sun Pokémon continued to stare at her while Leon sat down next to her.

"And I suppose you want me to translate…? Consider it done," Leon said without another word. It was all up to Espeon to share the full story behind the enigmatic, lovely loner that the Salon Maiden once went by at home.

* * *

The air was clean and purified. The town was lush with life and thriving in health, thanks to the fragrant winds that blew away the troublesome volcanic ash that had originated from Mt. Chimney. Verdanturf Town, one of the cleanest, yet smallest towns in the Hoenn region, even possibly the entire world, was where she was born. Her parents were not exactly the best examples of health, but by fortunately raising their children here in Verdanturf Town, the opportunity gave them better physical conditions than what their parents could give. The quiet town also teemed with life outside its boundaries with the neighboring forest, route that led out to Mauville City, and even the supposed Rusturf Tunnel that was still currently in construction. This was an ideal place to settle down with simplistic desires, such as raising a family or conversing peacefully with other living beings both human and Pokémon.

One three-year old girl, with short lilac hair messed up into tufts, soon found herself wandering close to the forest in her family's backyard. It was almost a daily habit for her whenever she was bored around the house. She often felt shy around other kids her age, a personality trait she inherited from her passive, but strong-willed mother. She also could hear the playful cries of the forest Pokémon asking her to join them in their joviality. She could somehow easily understand what they were trying to say to her despite her very young age and the fact that the sounds reverberating within the forest, according to another human, were just plain cacophony. The little girl ignored such claims, wanting to find someone to play with and entertain her. But before her wobbly, small legs could take her further across the backyard, someone's hand suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her approach to the forest completely.

"That's far enough, Anabel Lee," the young boy scolded, his lavender-tinted glasses glared under the refracted sunlight. His neatly groomed hair, having a somewhat darker shade than the girl's lilac color, flowed upon the gentle fragrant breeze passing through their family's backyard. Anabel, the three-year old girl that only wanted someone to play with her, pouted, attempting to make her shimmering eyes water to gain pity from her older brother. The brother felt his throat swell and looked away, knowing that his parents would definitely have a fit if she turned up missing under his watchful guidance. "Sorry, my sister, but you know you can't just enter a Pokémon's habitat _unsupervised_."

"Then, will you come with me this time, _Wucian_?" Anabel asked, noticing a slight cringe from her brother upon her cute enunciation of his name. Thinking quickly on her tiny feet, she had put on a rather lovable face that not even Lucian could harden himself to just to deny his sister. She puckered her lips together with her lower lip standing out to quiver. Her adorable pale cheeks, with the softness of an infant's skin, puffed up, giving off a rather rosy blush. Her lilac pupils widened and shimmered with infinite innocence with the desire for friends to play with her. Given the circumstances, Lucian knew that she never really had a chance to go out to the forest considering her complete innocence and inexperience dealing with Pokémon. He and their parents had pretty much restricted her from doing much of anything.

"Anabel, please," Lucian groaned inwardly, attempting to avert his gaze from his begging sister. "You know that I'll have to start my journey soon. I've got to get back reading and—."

"_Pwease_, big bwother?" Anabel pleaded in a louder, yet cuter tone, intertwining her stubby fingers together under her chin. Her eight-year old brother rolled his eyes behind his glasses. He treated this situation, as he did in the past, as a test on preparing him for his own Pokémon journey. There were some things that Anabel was allowed and other things that Lucian had to enforce the rules upon. Under no circumstances was he supposed to let her near the forest until she was of suitable age. The level of age, however, was under the control of their parents. Anabel was allowed to enter the forest and play with the Pokémon at the age of five or she would be released a month before she would turn ten. As protective as he was over her, Lucian could at least give her a glimpse of the Pokémon as long as she remained with him at all times. It was a little thing called compromise.

"Well, I guess as long as you remain close to me—." Before Lucian could finish his decision, he was suddenly tackled onto the ground and hugged tightly by an overjoyed baby sister.

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you! _Thank you_!" Anabel cried quickly, repeating her gratitude over and over as she continued to squeeze her brother's chest and nearly suffocate him with her affection.

_I really wish she would learn how to control her emotions better_, Lucian thought, somewhat annoyed by the excessive gratitude she continued to shower upon him as his back was still against the ground. _She's a quiet girl, after all… Geez, it's always the quiet ones._ Standing back up and holding his baby sister in his hands, Lucian proceeded to follow through with his promise and carried her into the forest as she wanted. "Just hold on tight to me, just in case."

"Got it," Anabel replied, grabbing onto his scarlet collared shirt with her small hands and their firm grip. She held onto her big brother as tightly as she could, watching as they went in closer and closer past the outside trees and beyond the shrubs scattered around the trees. Their cooling shadows passed right through them as Lucian continued to walk deeper into the forest.

"Observe and listen closely, Anabel, since I'm doing this just this _one_ time," Lucian advised sternly, using a free hand to turn his sister's head forward. "Look and be amazed, sister!" He directed her to see the various Pokémon in play, living within their natural habitat. Several Zigzagoon scurried about around the trees and into the bushes, playfully chasing each other. There were three Seedot hanging off one branch of a tree nearby, swinging about blissfully together in the same direction as they sang a merry tune. A small flock of Taillow was seen flying over high above the trees, ignoring the obstacles the towering branches and leaves posed to them. Anabel looked on in wonder, her vibrant eyes sparkling underneath the warm glow of the sun's rays penetrating through the thick, verdant tree branches.

"They sound… so happy," Anabel commented, greatly admiring the nature around her. "I want to join them and share in their happiness!"

"What?"

Before Lucian could predict what his somewhat rascal of a sister was about to do, Anabel kicked off his stomach and jumped onto the ground. The almost scholarly older brother stumbled back upon the force she used to escape his arms. Anabel ran forward to the Pokémon, giggling without a care in the world. The innocent three-year old was nearing a meter or so from the scurrying Zigzagoon, wanting to play with them and chase them around until they all got tired. Before she could have actually gotten to the TinyRaccoon Pokémon, Anabel felt something grab her ankles and causing her to fall face first.

"_Ow_!" Anabel cried, beginning to whimper from the slightly painful incident. She felt as though her knee was scraped when she fell and her small lavender dress was dirtied from the brown dust. Her wide lilac eyes began to water; her vision became blurry. Before tears overtook her sight from the pain to her fragile body, the last thing Anabel saw was a delicate flower waving in front of her on the ground. It had lost some lavender petals from her fall, but it still stood tall and strong. "_W… Wah!_" The little girl began to wail, completely forgetting about her objective of playing with the forest Pokémon as Lucian picked her up and carried her back to their house.

_I'm terribly sorry, Anabel, but you're still too young to deal with Pokémon_, Lucian thought somberly, closing his eyes to avoid watching his sister cry from the lingering pain on her knee. _Perhaps when I finally leave, you will understand how to deal with them a lot more than just rushing in like that…_

* * *

_Two years later…_

It was quite a joyous day in Verdanturf Town. A young prodigy had finally come of age, to start his own journey while his loved ones watched his progress over various competitions and League Conferences. Lucian had finally turned ten, leaving the gates of the peaceful and fragrant town while his parents and five-year old sister saw his back fading into the distance. There were other townspeople as well seeing the studious Trainer off, predicting all together that Lucian was going to make something great of himself. They noted how much knowledge he gained from reading various books, whether those books were about ESP, hinting toward his preference towards Psychic-type Pokémon, down to Professor Oak's published research.

His potential was palpable when he faced and even captured a lone Bronzor in town a while ago, completely out of place in the Hoenn region. Out of nowhere, the frightened Bronzor attacked out of defense while a local Trainer went to take care of the problem with his Combusken. The strange creature, however, proved to be more than a match for the Young Fowl Pokémon by completely resisting both its supposedly super effective Fire and Fighting attacks. Before the one-sided clash could continue, Lucian took over by issuing strategic commands to Combusken's Trainer to take down the wily Bronzor. Following the new Trainer's advice since he ran out of options, he had allowed Combusken follow Lucian's every command to stop the terrified Bronze Pokémon. The tables had turned and peace was almost at hand.

It was then Combusken's Trainer tossed an empty Poké Ball to young Lucian, claiming in humility that he had earned the right to take care of the distressed Bronzor after witnessing his calculating displays. He accepted, and he captured it without hesitation. Not many people in Verdanturf Town knew what kind of Pokémon Bronzor was, but leave it to Lucian to unravel its mysteries for his people as he took the Bronze Pokémon as his first Pokémon ever. As the intellectual Trainer left to make his own destiny, his sister had a swirl of ideas in her mind upon witnessing her own brother's triumph in capturing a Pokémon on his first day ever.

_Oh, Lucian, though you don't like to admit it, you loved showing off the knowledge you learned from books on Pokémon and battles_, the five-year old Anabel thought, smiling lightheartedly to herself. She had slightly grown physically, but still retained a mask of playful innocence. She sat upon the lush ground at her backyard, staring into the space through the forest that Lucian took her to nearly two years ago. Since then, she was forced to refrain from entering the forest until she learned just enough about handling wild Pokémon. _'Just enough…' What in the world is that supposed to mean? Lucian, you're such a pain!_

Anabel simply preferred the company of Pokémon more than humans, most likely from the fact that their emotions, their happiness gave her something new to experience for herself than interacting with the people in Verdanturf Town. She already knew what it was like to be a human, courtesy from her father's strong words of wisdom. Nature also called out to her when no other human could hear their comforting voices; it was a gift, as her mother would explain before bed. Finally, there was the lesson her own brother inadvertently taught her; to feel protected and cared for, that was Lucian's job, whether he looked like he showed interest in it or not. From all of these facts, from the frail nature of humans to Lucian's protection, Anabel had gained the title of the quiet loner in front of her own peers, which had begun to spread all around town. She did not interact much with other young boys and girls; she just found nature to be a lot more fascinating, considering that she was living in a healthy populace.

_Just doing my job_, Lucian's dull voice echoed in her mind as a last reminder as she continued to stare into the clouds drifting away in the bright blue sky. Anabel frowned. She thought she could get away. As time went by, so did her own growth. Her own schemes of sneaking off into the forest to play with the Pokémon became properly thought out and complicated. Even Lucian had to admit that his sister was becoming quite crafty in her attempts; apparently, genius ran in the family. Upon considering his words and the facts of reality around her, the five-year old smirked.

"He's not here to stop me _this_ time," Anabel muttered, her tone sounding triumphant yet quiet. Without another word, she stood back up on the ground and wore a pair a small dress shoes lying by her side on the grass. She inherited some of her mother's fashion tastes in somewhat formal clothing, though it was not too formal for her to be actually considered to be some sort of fairy tale princess. Regardless, she was not going to stand by and allow Lucian's warnings cloud her mind. "I'm going in the forest, and there's no one going to stop me."

"Anabel sweetie, lunch time!" her mother's voice rang like a beautiful wind chime. Anabel perked up to the announcement, slightly rubbing her thin stomach covered by a lavender shirt. It answered back to her in a meek, but serious growl, earning a naïve giggle from the cute five-year old girl.

_Oh, boy! I hope Mom made cinnamon rolls for dessert!_ Anabel thought with a famished grin on her young face, nearly drooling upon the exposure to the thought within the first two seconds. She ran inside, settling her venture into the forest an hour after lunch. At her wake, another flower of the same fragile properties fluttered from the gentle touch of the wind, patiently waiting for the little girl in order to alleviate her well-hidden loneliness.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this was rather short, but then again, my mind is currently focused on other things. Besides, I wanted to introduce Anabel's own past for some time now, seeing as I've gone in some depth on Ash's motivations on becoming a Pokémon Master and Paul's need for internal redemption from his past. Anyway, more of Anabel's past will be presented next chapter around the next time I have more free time on my hands.**

**After giving this entire series some thoughts, I've considered the possibility of turning the **_**Stardom series**_** into a trilogy by creating a prequel for **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**, which would detail Ash's exploits during the Sinnoh League Conference while including some minor AbilityShipping. But, that is assuming I could even get up to that point. A lot can happen in competitions, whether they're related to the matches or not. Who knows? Maybe I could incorporate other sources of inspiration, like say repossession by the King of Pokélantis?**

**A piece of trivia if you had not caught it: when Lucian first addressed his sister as Anabel Lee, it was merely a reference to Edgar Allen Poe's poem of a similar name. Also, just in case, the name Lee could either be her middle or surname. It was an interesting tibit I wanted to toy with for a while, even though it did not serve much purpose.**

**If you would plea****se review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	27. Growth

**It looks like the quickest I can update is probably within a week or two. I figure that since college has been fortunately slow for a start and no reports or projects due within a week until much later, I could probably squeeze in a few more chapters before I'm completely swamped. Anyway, just like I've been treating my homework so far, I'm taking this step by step, little by little. I'm pretty sure that you all get the picture.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

* * *

"Thanks, Mom! That was delish!" Anabel exclaimed, licking over the rather sticky residue on her lips. Her mother, with a beaming smile that could brighten the bleakest sky, came over to her daughter sitting at the table and wiped her mouth with a moist towelette, much to the five-year old girl's chagrin. "_Mom_!"

"Please settle down, Anabel sweetie," her mother crooned, removing the sweet lingering taste of cinnamon off her mouth. Her daughter pouted, attempting to get away from the persistent towelette while trying to leave with the taste. However, as her mother would say it, a girl with complete disregard to her hygiene would have no proper etiquette and thus would not be taken seriously. Anabel attempted to escape from her chair, but her mother held onto her arm tightly while using her free hand to clean her up. Her mother succeeded in cleaning her mouth and the small area around it. "Don't worry. There's still an extra cinnamon roll later on, _but_ you must be a good girl for the rest of the day until dinner time."

"Okay, Mom!" Anabel exclaimed, shuffling out of her seat with the promise of the last cinnamon roll in her mind and ran to the kitchen back door. "Bye-bye, Mommy!" Her hastening footsteps echoing from the outside merely earned a light giggle from her tender mother, amused by the bubbly youth in her young five-year old.

"When it comes to Pokémon and cinnamon rolls, that girl just can't get a grip," Anabel's mother sighed, collecting the plates that contained the leftovers from her daughter's last meal from the table. "If only she was like that with other kids her age…"

Following from her quick lunch, little Anabel ran through her lush backyard without a care in the world, just like any five-year old would after finishing and savoring the sweet taste sensations of her favorite dessert in her mouth. The only thing that made her even more energetic was that Lucian was finally gone, unable to stop her from doing what she loved doing, which was sneaking into the forest behind his back and play with the forest Pokémon. Then again, she nearly forgot her true goal over time and simply tried sneaking off just to annoy her bookish older brother by both disrupting his study time and making him accountable for her safety with the wild Pokémon. She was a young child with a strong need for entertainment, and friends to share them with. Anabel was sheltered much. Her hometown of Verdanturf Town was clean and fragrant. The townspeople, even though she barely interacted with any of them, were very friendly. Finally the point landed upon her own family; her parents and brother cared and protected her from many things, considering her outward appearance as a quiet, frail little girl.

_They're just so suffocating_, Anabel thought, having ran halfway through the backyard and nearly reached the bushes on the outer borders of the forest. _They mean well, but I just don't feel so free when I'm with them… or happy._ A frown deepened into her soft, innocent face. As much as she was reluctant to admit it, she considered her own well-being before her own family. After all, Anabel was still a five-year old girl with ways still left to go. _In fact, I just feel empty and alone in that house, like no one wants to play with me…_

It was true. As much as most of the townspeople and her own family were fond and caring over her, they all almost never had any free time to spend with the lilac-haired child. Always busy in maintaining Verdanturf Town's healthy reputation, the people and their Pokémon were dedicated on ensuring that the air remained just as clean and fragrant as ever. Her father had his strenuous job, her mother ensured the order and cleanliness in their humble abode, and Lucian preferred reading over anything else. That was one reason altogether. The other reason was Anabel herself; she kept to herself and desired to play with the forest Pokémon than with anyone else. It was a basic preference trait she merely inherited from her mother in addition to the rest of her personality; to look calm and quiet on the outside with a strong, wise, beautiful independent spirit within.

Anabel passed through the outer forest shrubs, their branches lightly brushing against her legs. Her excitement disregarded all other sensations as she finally had a chance to be alone with the Pokémon in the forest. Her first sight upon entering through the same path Lucian took her through about two years ago was another group of tall trees casting their cooling shadows upon her. The flora welcomed her return after so long. She walked slowly, appreciating the sights and calming green aura exuded all around from the living plants around her. They accepted her with open arms, or branches per say. Not much had changed in her eyes, except for the fact that she had grown a little and was a bit more cautious. Even though she knew that Lucian stopped and tripped her two years ago, Anabel did not want to take any chances while traversing alone. Her lilac eyes soon relaxed and sparkled from the trace amounts of sunlight penetrating through the lush green leaves and sturdy brown branches from above. Her mouth sighed in wonder. She almost felt fulfilled, happy if it were not for one small thing.

There was no wild Pokémon around…

"Where are they?" Anabel asked herself, sounding a little worried. Every day for the past years, she would listen to the playful yells of the wild Pokémon beckoning her to join their merriment. She could feel the laughter of the energetic Zigzagoon chasing each other around, the laidback music from the swinging Seedot, the bright chirps of the cruising Taillow, and even some lively splashes from the skittering Surskit from the nearby pond. But for today, all she could hear was a sort of cold, dreading silence slowly taking over the entire forest. "This isn't good. Where is everyone?"

"… _Ee_…!"

"What?" Anabel grunted. Before the five-year old could comprehend the strange sound, almost sounding like a cry for help, that immediately stood out from the hollow forest, a swift brown blur of sorts swept right past her and sent the five-year old onto her soft bottom. "Ow…" With age and growth, she had a higher tolerance for pain than before. It was not much, but it was also not enough to make her burst into tears like when she was three. Before she groaned about the very thing that threw her balance off, she noticed that it disappeared into the bushes in a hurry. "Whatever that was, it was _fast_!" As Anabel mumbled about the strange phenomenon, the bushes and branches began to ruffle violently. "What…?"

"_Dusk_…!" a pair of ghastly Duskull moaned frighteningly, emerging out of the tree trunk in front of Anabel together. "Du-skull!"

Their sudden appearance startled the five-year old as one of the Duskull flew right through her. The very action had chilled the poor, frightened girl to the core, as though she was greatly violated and did not know what it was. The lingering feeling of the Duskull phasing through her mortal body left Anabel shivering and curled up to her knees in fear. It was a horrible characteristic many Ghost-type Pokémon shared with each other; abruptly flying through a living body would, more or less, leave their victims shivering from the sudden drop of temperature upon exposure to their mysterious forms. However, that alone was not the reason Anabel was left on the ground to shiver from the Duskull's touch.

One night, almost a year ago, Anabel got into an argument with Lucian with the topic over Psychic-type Pokémon. It was predicted to be a typical sibling conflict over who had the better knowledge, no doubt, yet this particular standoff was unusually heated. It did not take long until little Anabel, out of inexperience and lack of emotional control, dealt the first, albeit weak, punch at her older brother. They disrupted the peace and forced their father to separate them into corners for the night. He and his wife knew that their children do not argue much, but the intensity of their argument gave them a warning for the future. If Anabel and Lucian would ever argue like that again in the future, the results would be more chaotic than the last. It was back then that their parents intervened with the admonishment of Duskull, the reaper of darkness that loved to spirit away bad children and feed off their misery when they least expect them. It was also said that Duskull would continue to pursue its prey as long as they are trapped in darkness. The warning of the Ghost-type alone made the siblings get their act together and promised to use their heads, leading to their well-mannered personalities and strengthened preferences to the Psychic-type. The reason for the latter; to fight back against adversary with their own weakness turned into strength.

Thinking back to the memories that orbited around Duskull's myth, Anabel could not help but wonder if what she was doing was good or bad, if seeking out other Pokémon to befriend them in order to fill her loneliness was a bad thing that would result in her sudden abduction by the Requiem Pokémon.

"Have I… been bad…?" Anabel shivered, questioning herself over the past few years as Duskull's momentary touch on her slowly faded from her young body and warmth returneed.

"Ee-_vee_…!" the cry for help shouted again, reverberating through the trees. The call broke Anabel out of her trance, placing her own feelings aside and ran in the direction where the Duskull pair flew right through. She ran and jumped through the branches that blocked her way. Her small, skinny body allowed her passages through the tightest corners. Before long after getting through the last flora obstacle in the forest, she caught up with the Duskull and their cornered victim.

"Oh, no… that poor creature," Anabel commented silently, hiding behind a tree so that neither the Duskull nor their prey noticed her presence. She could sense a mixture of fear and a little bit of defiance emanating from the corner the Duskull had covered. The five-year old hesitated to act whether to help the cornered creature or not, still frightened from exposure to the Duskull and the terrible myths revolving around the Requiem Pokémon.

"Du-skull Duskull Dusk," the leading Duskull on the left growled, looming ominously with its partner toward the frightened creature. Anabel somehow understood the declared threat the Duskull made. She took a closer glimpse and discovered the pair's prey to be a little Eevee; something the spunky Eevee did to them must have greatly invoked their vengeful wrath of her. That also explained the abnormal absence of the other forest Pokémon; they must have fled upon sight of the persistent Duskull chasing the Eevee.

"Oh, my," Anabel whispered in a very low volume to herself, slowly covering her mouth with a hand. Though she heard with her own ears that the Duskull pair demanded justice, something still did not feel right within her. She leaned forward for a clearing hearing over their conversation, making sure she remained hidden behind the tree until she came to a decision.

"Ee-Eevee!" the Eevee barked back, crouching closer to the tree pressed against her bushy tail. "Ee-Eevee _Eevee_!" She declared that the menacing pair had no right persecuting her for accidentally stumbling upon their dark territory during her play time. With nowhere else to go, the Evolution Pokémon took a stand for herself against the intimidating Duskull.

"_Dusk_…!" both Duskull hissed, unfolding their ragged arms from their backs into a daunting stance, preparing their attack against the Eevee. Their singular, glowing red eyes were visible through one socket, all focused upon the bold Eevee. "Duskull—!"

"_No_!"

"Dusk…?" the Duskull grunted, coming to a complete halt from Anabel's intrusion. The five-year old acted on a whim, her feet sliding along the ground right in front of the surprised Eevee with her arms held up as a protective shield.

"I don't know what this Eevee did to upset you guys, but don't you know that two wrongs don't make a right?" Anabel asked, slightly trembling against the scary threat hovering right in front of her. The Duskull pair exchanged bewildered glances before hauntingly gazing upon the young interloper. "Can't you just learn to forgive and forget? Please?" The Duskull looked at each other again before glancing back at her right before erupting into a condescending laughter before her widened lilac eyes. "You think this is _funny_?!"

"Du-skull!" the leading Duskull hissed, focusing its red pupil into a somber glare and flew right through Anabel again without warning. The Requiem Pokémon gave the five-year old another chilling sensation throughout her little body, forcing the weak little girl onto her knees and nearly into tears. Anabel was greatly frightened, hugging herself close to preserve the little warmth she had before Duskull had robbed some of her youthful vitality with its twisted ambush. The second Duskull soon joined its partner in tormenting the cowering five-year old girl for her foolish interference, phasing through her body while sapping her warmth and joy with its relentless pursuit. Eevee cringed at the sight, unable to bear witness as the young girl before her was tormented by the relentless Duskull in her stead.

"_Ee_…!" Eevee growled, ultimately taking charge by leaping high and biting hard on the leading Duskull's loose sleeve. The Duskull groaned in abrupt pain, retracting its arm back from Eevee's Bite.

"Du-_skull_!" the partner Duskull roared, perturbed by the attack made on its friend. Eevee jumped into a different direction, pouncing on it with another Bite attack to rip through its dark robe body. "Dusk! Duskull Dusk!"

"Huh…? What?" Anabel stirred, slowly lifting her head up after a brief recovery from the Duskull's attack. The inner warmth of her body returned, having sensed some sort of distress from the outside environment. She quickly noticed the Eevee's rash counterattack against the Duskull, watching her tear through the Requiem Pokémon with rather nasty Bite attacks. _Whoa… I'm glad I'm no longer in the middle of them. That Eevee is surely a feisty one._ The Eevee left no room for the Duskull to fight back, having gained the strength to toss them aside after witnessing that strange human girl stand up for her. Though she never met Anabel until now, the Evolution Pokémon could tell that she had a good heart for having stood up for her, even when she was defenseless herself. It was all through her emotions, her innocence, her aura.

"Dusk…!" the leading Duskull groaned, having been thrown into a tree on top of its partner like a rag doll after Eevee released her mouth's grip on them. Both of the Duskull were tattered and torn with bite marks with scratches of forest dust dirtying their ragged robe bodies.

"Duskull… D-usk?" the second Duskull asked weakly, its dull red pupil looking at its friend lazily. The leader nodded and soon after, both of them immediately fled from the sight of the scrappy Eevee and the confused five-year old girl. Blinking several times before realizing that victory was on her and Eevee's side, Anabel walked over to the tree where the Eevee sent the Duskull into and discovered a strange berry left behind, untouched.

"What's this?" Anabel pondered softly, picking up the purple berry with finger-like segments by the stem. After a thorough examination once Eevee was by her feet, the identity of the mysterious berry sprung into Anabel's mind. "I know this Berry! I saw it in one of Lucian's colorful books about rare Berries. I think it's called a Kasib Berry; very rare and said to be sometimes found in a Duskull or Dusclops' possession." Anabel glanced at the Eevee next to her, who only gazed back innocently at her. _Hard to believe that this Eevee was a tough fighter the first minute then suddenly so happy and quiet the next…_

"Ee-vee?" Eevee asked, tilting her head to the side; the gesture seemed rather adorable to the young girl.

"Aw! You're so cute and tough!" Anabel praised, smiling brilliantly while a mild red blush of embarrassment glowed from the Eevee's face. "You deserve a prize for saving me!" Without another thought, she placed the rare Kasib Berry on the ground in front of Eevee. "Go ahead and take it!" Eevee looked at her with a perplexed expression glimmering in her deep black eyes. "Something wrong?"

"Ee-Eevee Eevee," Eevee explained, claiming that the only reason she acquired the strength to stand against the ruthless Duskull duo was that Anabel was in trouble. "Eevee _Ee_…!" For one reason or another, the Evolution Pokémon was able to react to her distress, giving her a reason to protect the human against the Duskull. Though Eevee's vocal speech sounded more like a bunch of cute squeaks and mewls, Anabel understood the message through her emotions of concern and protection.

"So you're saying that because you were protecting me that you became super strong?" Anabel clarified, placing an index finger upon the tip of her lips. "To protect someone you care about… But we just met. Does that mean…?" No word escaped her mouth after that last breath of realization. Eevee knew her implications and nodded in confirmation without a shadow of a doubt. Because Anabel stood up for her against the vicious Duskull attack, it was her turn to protect her. To be fully clear that this dream had come true and that she was fully awake, Anabel knelt down to face Eevee at eye level. Her wide lilac eyes shimmered in hope, concealing an empty void of loneliness that desired friendship to be filled. "Eevee, do you want to be my friend?"

"Ee," Eevee mewled, gingerly hopping up to her and gave her soft, pale cheek and quick affectionate lick.

This was the start of a powerful friendship. More importantly, the lonely five-year old girl had finally made a first real friend after years of inescapable protection from her own family. There was a certain difference that Anabel noted between her relationships with her family to her newly formed bond with the wild Eevee. Her family loved her unconditionally, believing that they have been keeping the young girl safe from harm while inadvertently denying her the certain attention she desired. As for her new friendship with Eevee, she found the courage to make an independent choice and momentarily broke out of her quiet shell to create the newly formed bond.

* * *

_Five years later…_

"Anabel! Wake up, sweetie!" her mother sang, lightly tapping her bedroom door. She heard muffled tired groaning from the other side of the door, but that was to be expected at the early time of eight o'clock. "Today's the day, you know." Anabel's mother smiled as her heard rapid footsteps, along with a collection of discordant sounds, reverberate in her daughter's bedroom. The door swung outward quickly after she took a long stride backwards to avoid the door.

"I'm not late, am I…?" Anabel yawned. Her short lilac hair was messier than normal and her lavender pajamas were ruffled and wrinkled as though she had a falling out with her drapes. Her mother also looked down and noticed that she was missing a slipper on her left foot. She giggled at the sight of her daughter, but Anabel did not care much for her appearance. "Is it time to get my first Pokémon and start my journey… yaaaawn… yet?"

"Don't worry, Anabel," her mother giggled, placing her hand on her thin shoulder and escorted her to the bathroom a few doors down the hall. "Though time waits for no man, your Starter Pokémon eagerly waits for you the moment you step out of this house."

"Mmph…," Anabel hummed groggily without even opening her mouth, dragging her feet into the bathroom and locked the door for privacy. Even though it was only her own mother around, she still desired some peace taking a shower and doing her usual business in the upstairs bathroom. Anabel's mother simply smiled before going into the kitchen and wait for her dear daughter to come on down for breakfast.

It was a good thing she woke Anabel up early, considering she was a female herself. It was predicted that her daughter would take much time sprucing up her appearance in the bathroom as she got older and Lucian left on his journey. It was either that or she fell asleep in the shower due to being up so early. Regardless of what the case may be, it nearly took an hour for Anabel to come down to the kitchen dressed in a casual attire of a white shirt, an orange handkerchief around her neck, light blue jeans that reached a little bit past her knees, a green beret, and a brown belt holster for her camera. Her mother was by the sink, washing up plates from her and her husband's earlier breakfast before he went off to work.

"All that time in the bathroom and you're going to wear _that_?" Anabel's mother asked, her tone sounding playful than annoyed.

"Well, I'm not going to engage my first battle wearing a dress," the ten-year old girl replied, laughing quietly to herself with a grin on her face. "I just want to get a quick bite to eat before I go off on my journey."

"Really? So Anabel, have you decided which Starter Pokémon that you want? Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip are all waiting for you."

"I don't know, Mom," Anabel sighed, deciding on taking a small bowl of cereal instead of something big. She filled the bowl halfway with fresh Miltank milk and stuck a metallic spoon with the contents before anything else. "I really like all three Pokémon. They seem so nice and it's really hard for me to choose."

"You can get a Treecko," her mother suggested, lightly shrugging her shoulders as she placed a clean plate on the stack on her right. "You did say that you love playing by the forest and pretty much nature in general."

"It seems logical, but it just doesn't feel right to me," Anabel mumbled, taking a spoonful of her cereal and chewed quietly. The ten-year old did not notice the hidden smile her own mother kept from her decisions regarding her first Pokémon.

_I can see why you feel this way, which is all the more why there's a better Pokémon out there for you_, Anabel's mother thought, humming a quiet tune to herself to pass the time. A few minutes went by without notice and Anabel had already finished what seemed to be her shortest breakfast ever. She walked up to the sink and placed the emptied bowl with the dirty pile and strode off. "Are you sure that's all you're going to eat?"

"It'll provide enough energy for me until lunch," Anabel replied casually, placing her hands behind her head. "This day would _so_ be exciting if I wasn't dreading on which Pokémon I want to start out with. My first Pokémon… will be a partner of a lifetime."

"That's true, sweetie, but I can assure you that, as your mother, that your worries will disappear once you exit our front door and face the world with your talents and abilities," her mother said with an assuring wink; her gentle tone felt so empowering. Anabel nodded as her temporary worries over choosing her Pokémon were gone into the air and went off to the front door as quickly. She tied her shoes as quickly as possible, wanting to get this over with and start her journey off with a smile along with her first partner ever.

Anabel stood back up in full height in front of the door. She felt the beating rate of her own heart increasing as her hand reached for the knob, ready to unlock and create her own destiny in the outside world. She was finally given a chance for freedom, a chance to see the world beyond the forest neighboring her family's backyard, and a chance to make new friends with many different Pokémon. In fact, her first friend ever stood onto top of the welcome doormat in front of her feet. With a silk lilac bow tied around the cream fur around her neck and a jubilant smile on her familiar face, she leapt into Anabel's arms with one desire on mind. The ten-year old Trainer was confused upon discovering _her_ waiting on her doorstep like that, but glancing back in the direction of the kitchen, Anabel heard the faint giggle of her lovely mother echo as her surprise gift snuggled herself into her chest.

"Eevee… you… want to travel… with me…?" Anabel asked without dragging out other questions on why the Evolution Pokémon was here in the first place. Her amiable voice weakened by the surge of love, devotion, and friendship Eevee had displayed simply by waiting for her to show up. Without another word, Eevee purred and nuzzled her head in her best friend and new Trainer's arms. _Thank you, Mom…_ A tear slowly shed itself from the corner of her lilac eye, landing upon the gift bow before breaking apart into beautiful sparkles that glittered under the warm rays of the sun. Anabel brought Eevee closer, hugging her first best friend while forgetting about the camera slowly being crushed under her combined weight with Eevee.

* * *

_Three years later…_

Load cheers roared, reverberating throughout the entire open stadium. The sun was bright, illuminating the entire radius of the Grass Field completely. It was becoming late in the competition tournament. The Ever Grande Conference was coming to a close as the semifinal battle between the top two Trainers was nearing its last round. Both sides had lost five Pokémon throughout the course of rigorous displays of power, strategy, and faith. On one side was an Electabuzz that barely looked like it took any damage at all. It was still raring to go as static electricity coursed throughout its yellow fur. Its opponent was a resilient Eevee, panting heavily from the past few rounds she had fought in. She fought for her Trainer's honor and it was thanks to her that her entire team made it this far in their first Pokémon League Conference. Eevee was the last Pokémon to represent her as the scoreboard on top revealed the identities of the two combatants and their six participating Pokémon. The top five rows were completely blank; the five previous Pokémon were deemed unable to battle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is turning out to be quite a spectacular match!" the commentator for the battle exclaimed, accompanied by the confirming cheers of the audience. "To think, a young rookie like Anabel of Verdanturf Town had survived _this_ long in this heated competition, especially against her powerful opponent. But then, she _is _related to the scholar prodigy, Lucian, who had begun making a name for himself in the Sinnoh region. All bets are off that Lucian will make it against the Sinnoh Elite Four!"

_Lucian…_ Anabel thought, frowning as the crowd was fired up by the mere mention of his name. For the past three years since she started her journey, the moment she went into action, people all around her would immediately compare her to her older brother. _You've done so much to me in the past. You cared for me with that annoyed look on your face, you protected me from the very creatures I've come to adore, and now you're stealing my spotlight when it's supposed to be my moment to shine…!_

Anabel was trapped within her brother's shadow for so long now, even as she had come to develop her own abilities and battling style. She knew that since she was a little girl, she had the unique empathetic ability to understand how and what Pokémon were feeling, including her own. She had gotten remarkably close to them, opting to bond with them as often as possible while discovering another hidden talent she never knew about until reaching a certain level of friendship with her Pokémon. The incident had started in a normal Trainer battle in the route between Oldale Town and Petalburg City. It was Eevee against the foe's Surskit with the latter having an edge with its speed. The moment that Eevee was about to lose to one more hit against Surskit's Quick Attack, she felt their hearts and spirits intertwine as one. She felt what Eevee was thinking, what she was feeling back then.

It was at that moment that her inner power had awakened into a form of telepathy that not only formed from their close bond, but their surprise tactic threw their opponent off and reversed the tide of battle into their victory. Since then, Anabel established such deep psychic connections with all her Pokémon aside from Eevee. Since the majority of them were of the Psychic-type, she had little trouble of doing so. Thus, she became a separate force to be reckoned with, completely different from Lucian and his calculating tactics. But even as she progressed for the past years in honing her abilities and her Pokémon's strengths, her brother remained a step ahead and people still compared her to him, much to her exasperated annoyance. She even started to lose hope in herself as Lucian was soon qualified to challenge the Sinnoh Elite Four.

"Let the final round continue!" the referee announced, raising both flags in the air. His shout brought Anabel back into reality as she commanded the first move.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!"

"Ee!" Eevee shouted, sprinting off towards Electabuzz with a stream of light emitted from her trail. Her opponent remained impassive, not concerned about the oncoming attack at all.

"ThunderPunch! Go!"

"Ele-boo!" Electabuzz grunted, swinging in an electrified jab into the side of Eevee's head. She was reaching her limit. Anabel was greatly worried. The Evolution Pokémon was easily thrown aside from the impact, her body dragged against its will along the grass.

"Eevee, don't give up!" Anabel yelled. In spite of her encouragement as she noticed a growing smirk on her opponent's smug, hardened face, she carried a small hint of doubt within her heart. _This is one battle we're just not strong enough for… We're just not ready, and I was a fool for charging in…_

_Then remain a fool for your entire life!_ Eevee's voice, unaffected by her natural Pokémon tongue, retorted heatedly within Anabel's mind. The thirteen-year old girl was taken aback by the fierce resolve her best friend had constantly put herself through. Eevee was a resilient battler as long as she had someone to protect and to fight for. She was not about to let her best friend scold herself for her own dreams to be recognized by everyone for who she was. _You've made it this far, Anabel. Don't throw it all away! Everything's not what it seems!_

_W-What do you mean?_ Anabel asked, glancing at her friend as she struggled to get back on all fours. _What are you saying, my friend?_

_Just believe in me, Anabel, like you always did before!_ Eevee advised with such great passion that Anabel widened her eyes upon the display of steadfast determination the Evolution Pokémon had shown in front of the eyes of many. Even Electabuzz and its Trainer were astonished by Eevee's will.

"_You can do it_! _Eevee_!" Anabel screamed at the top of her lungs.

There was no holding back now, no hesitation. At that moment, Eevee's entire being began to glow radiantly. Her entire body was engulfed in a soft white light, illuminating the area around her as she began her evolution in amidst of the bright sun overhead. She grew into a more slender feline figure. Her bushy tail lengthened and grew longer; the end split apart into a fork. The last observation everyone noted was that the evolved creature grew what seemed to be an extra set of ears as a brilliant red gemstone revealed itself on her forehead. Eevee was all grown up. She was now Espeon.

_See what I mean now, Anabel?_ Espeon's voice, having morphed into a tone resembling that of a pure melody, asked as she looked at Anabel with a playful smirk. Anabel closed her gaping mouth and smiled back with renewed fortitude burning in her lilac eyes. _Let's do this together!_

_Right! Use Quick Attack again!_

"E-fie!" Espeon shouted, sprinting off again towards Electabuzz. She was faster than before, tackling headfirst into the Electric Pokémon. It became palpable to both Electabuzz and its Trainer that she was also stronger than before.

"Knock her back with Thunder!"

"Ele-le-le-le-le!" Electabuzz growled, focusing its electrical power upon the horns on its head. Espeon was quicker to the draw, however, and fired a Psybeam squarely into Electabuzz's chest without warning. However, her new power alone was not enough to prevent the Electric Pokémon from unleashing a powerful Thunder assault. "Ele-_boo_!" The massive current struck Espeon; the sheer power alone was enough to instill static paralysis into her motor system.

"_Fie_…!" Espeon groaned, shuddering from the paralyzing electricity freezing her joints. At the moment Anabel was about to pull her Poké Ball out to save her friend, the Sun Pokémon's eyes flared up in bright anger. A form of psychic energy condensed around her, carrying along some of the static electricity used to paralyze her. Before anyone could comprehend, the psychic wave carrying the electricity flew right into Electabuzz.

"Ele… boo…!" Electabuzz groaned, forced on its knees from the wave. Electricity coursed through its fur, but instead of showing off its power, it was crippling it of movement in both its arms and legs.

"It's Espeon's special ability, Synchronize," Anabel commented to herself as a smile slowly dawned upon her face. Both sides were now even and the battle could go either way. Now was her chance to fight back and win. "Espeon, get in close and use Psybeam!"

"E-_fie_…!" Espeon yelled, loosing another powerful, colorful beam at Electabuzz, forcing it onto the ground as the Electric Pokémon did to her in previous confrontations as Eevee.

"Fight back with Thunder, Electabuzz!"

"Ele-le-le-le-le…!" Electabuzz roared, standing back up full height on both feet as it began to focus its power for a Thunder attack that would hopefully shut Espeon down. "_Ele_…!" The Electric Pokémon a strong twinge that inhibited its full power; the paralysis it received as a result of Synchronize started to take effect.

_Espeon, use Quick Attack to get close before going into Iron Tail!_

"E-fie!" Espeon shouted, dashing forward from the great speed boost of her Quick Attack, cautiously approaching Electabuzz as it had trouble preparing its Thunder. Whenever it regained control, the Sun Pokémon had to beware. She, too, was reaching her limit and had to eliminate Electabuzz before the time came. "E-_fie_…!" Espeon leapt high in the air. Her forked tail shined under the sun as it glowed as white as steel, ready to slay Electabuzz upon her command.

_Do it!_

"Catch it! _Now_!"

"What?!"

Her opponent's command had surprised her, as did Electabuzz's momentarily regained mobility. The Electric Pokémon smirked sinisterly as it halted the Iron Tail in midair with both hands, expertly catching it like a sword from a vertical slash. Espeon was trapped in the air, unable to move as long as Electabuzz held onto her tail. She was trapped and it looked like Electabuzz was not about to let up on its brief recovery. With a friendly warning, electricity crackled upon its horns. Espeon's eyes widened, knowing what was coming next. She, however, did not have the power to escape. She was exhausted from the previous rounds of the semifinal match. Even with her evolution, she had reached her limit. The Sun Pokémon glanced back at her distressed friend, smiling softly before accepting her fate.

_I'm truly sorry, Anabel…_ Espeon sighed, the telepathic message tearing itself against Anabel's tender heart.

_No! I'm the one who should be sorry!_ Anabel reasoned, the muscles in her thin body tightened under her stress and worry. _I did not give you enough support or help when you all needed it. I should have been a better Pokémon Trainer. No wonder I'm still trapped in Lucian's shadow…_

_Anabel, listen to me… You're a sweet girl that deserves more than she's getting. You deserve to be recognized. You deserve to be strong. You deserve… to have better friends than me…_

_Never! You're my best friend, Espeon! No one can ever replace you!_ Anabel cried as a few tears dropped from her cheek. Electabuzz was charging one final Thunder. It allowed Espeon to share the last few sentiments they shared in this difficult battle. The Sun Pokémon looked like she was also crying, but a smile remained on her face, knowing that Anabel considered her to be a true friend.

_Thank you… for everything, my friend_, Espeon's voice said in an affectionate whisper.

Anabel returned her smile. She and her team fought well, but their opponent was simply stronger. That only meant that they had a long way to go, but the process was well worth it. Friendships were made and solidified into history. Past mistakes and regrets were thrown into the wind, long forgotten before long. This was a change to becoming recognized for who she was, to fill the hidden emptiness in her heart. This was Anabel's new dream, wherever it would take her after the Ever Grande Conference.

"Electabuzz, finish this once and for all!"

* * *

"… 'And that match became a new starting point for the future Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Tower,'" Leon repeated, following Espeon's exact words as she told him. His sister looked mesmerized as ever, still attempting to comprehend her mother's past within her young mind. "So Espeon, what happened after the Ever Grande Conference?" Lila broke out of her trance, wanting to listen intently to more of what had happened to her mother. She never knew that behind her plain, reserved exterior that she had quite a riveting back-story.

Espeon began to explain how Scott had heard of her accomplishments and skills while attending the Ever Grande Conference himself as a spectator. Back then, he had gathered six promising Trainers in order to present a challenge to all Trainers that could rival that of the Conferences the Pokémon League Committee established. He was an aspiring manager back then who knew where to spot talent. Of course, after learning more about Anabel after a brief interview and her need to break free from her older brother's shadow, Scott offered her a spot as the seventh Frontier Brain of his soon-to-be Battle Frontier in the Kanto region.

The opportunity would allow Anabel to train in the area of her choosing to her heart's content, which was why when she accepted the offer, she choose to be stationed by the vicinity of Tohjo Falls. When asked by the other Frontier Brains why she wanted to be placed in the middle of nowhere, Anabel merely replied that she preferred the company of Pokémon over all others. In truth, she was still not too social with other humans as the others noted. Slightly irritated by the fact that she kept herself a secret from her fellow Frontier Brains, Tycoon Arena Greta resolved on opening up the newly christened Salon Maiden on the Battle Tower. It was not easy, at first, but then again, nothing was ever easy on the first try. Eventually, though, Greta managed to get the shy Salon Maiden to open up to her with her constant prodding and outgoing nature, earning the title of her first human friend. Anabel had soon opened up to her fellow Brains and saw them as her second family. Greta was an older sister and her best human friend. Brandon was like the strict, but kind father. Lucy was somewhat of a benevolent mother figure and second closest friend to Anabel. Noland was the tough, older brother figure in contrast to Lucian, but he could never replace the newest member of the Sinnoh Elite Four as her older brother. Spencer was the wise grandfather to all of them. Finally, Tucker was the hilarious uncle with a great need for fame and cameras; that became reason enough for Anabel to change her casual look into a refined, formal look of a lilac blouse and violet pants. Together, they were going to make all daring Pokémon Trainers the challenge of their lives.

No one made it through the challenge over the next few years without giving up; a few notable examples included Reggie. But the first one to have successfully conquered the Battle Frontier, as well as offered a position at any time should he return, was the same man who inadvertently stole Anabel's heart after their second battle with his stubborn determination and caring dedication to all of his Pokémon. His name was Ash Ketchum, a hero revered throughout the world as of now as his friends were given two options. They either accepted his disappearance as his death or a foolish hope that he still existed somewhere in their world.

"Wow…," Lila commented breathlessly. "Our Mom had quite the life as a Trainer and as a Frontier Brain. Now I wonder how she dealt with the breakup with Dad… Espeon?" She had apparently struck a nerve with her careless comment as the Sun Pokémon looked away in despair and embarrassment for some reason. "… Never mind."

* * *

**Thank goodness for having a three-day weekend to complete this chapter. I thought that Labor Day was going to be a bore after finishing all my homework, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway, if I had a lot more time in my hands, then you'd already know that my chapters should be longer and updated at a shorter time span, but I digress.**

**Anyway, here's a bit of trivia for you all about this chapter. The method of attacks the Duskull used against Anabel is reminiscent to that of the Dementors from **_**Harry Potter**_** as those vile creatures steal warmth and happiness from their victims until they're rendering into hollow shells that relieve their worst memories. And the myth that Duskull spirit away misbehaving children seemed to help. Also, I originally planned Anabel's opponent to be Paul, as hinted by the Electabuzz and manner of speech used to convey commands. But back then, he would either have Elekid or not at all yet. Besides, it would have been too convenient, if you know what I mean… I'm following the foundation that the prequel had set up, which was during the Diamond and Pearl saga, before Platinum was introduced. Everything else was formed by me, with some suggestions from past readers.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	28. Lost

**Hmm… I'm not going to start off with a section of the future, or in other words the present, with Lila, Leon, Pikachu, and Espeon since we all know where we're heading by now. I shared Anabel's past only because it hasn't been discussed yet, but I will go further into depth of other characters much later in the story. Well, I guess there's not much for me to say aside from working on this chapter at the decreasingly spare time I have now except that I hope you will all now…**

**Please enjoy…**

* * *

"My name is Ash Ketchum… and I've accomplished many things beyond a normal person's wildest dreams…"

Within the dusty winds of the expansive bronze desert was a young figure whose silhouette was barely visible from a distance. His ragged black cape flowed aimlessly as the erratic sandstorms changed direction about every ten seconds before repeating the cycle of direction within a minute. On his left shoulder was a Pikachu with the same somber look as his best friend's face hidden underneath the rim of his fedora hat with the peculiar royal crest emblazoned on the front. The young man and his faithful Pokémon had traversed through the searing heat of the sun and the unforgiving sandstorms all alone for over two weeks now. As far as both were concerned about where they were, the enigmatic duo was in the middle of scenic nowhere.

"I've reached ultimate greatness of the world, but now I've come to start a new journey… a journey that extends beyond this Pokémon world."

The determined young hero had caught something within his center of vision. He narrowed his eyes and discovered a small locomotive within a mile's distance. He and his partner found it strange that a locomotive would remain stationary in a harsh desert region like Orre. They surely thought that if it was simply just staying there, then there should also be a station filled with people. As the young man advanced closer and the visibility of the inert locomotive became clearer in his normal vision, his assumptions that there would be people around turned out to be half right.

"In all of my years of traveling the world and meeting all sorts of awesome new Pokémon and friends alike, I've also shared the same amount of deepest regrets and sacrifices; one which might haunt me for the rest of my life…"

Ash, a discovered descendent of a legendary hero of aura, glanced upon the slightly populated locomotive engine from a fair distance as the desert winds calmed their wildness. Less sand clouded their vision as they slowly neared what seemed to be a gasoline stand made from the locomotive. He slightly lowered his head, reflecting over the events from the past two weeks of his solo journey. Of course, he was not alone back then. He had friends, human friends, which came with him to the Orre region for one purpose.

Their ultimate directive was to take down the powerful and villainous Reverse-Cipher organization and rescue its hostage, a Giratina trapped in the darkest shadows within its own heart.

It all went by rather quickly. The mission was simple. Ash, the chosen hero and trained Aura Guardian, was the only being with the power capable of freeing the darkness within Giratina. Having achieved his first dream of becoming a Pokémon Master with the help of his loyal friends and Pokémon over seven to eight months ago, the burden became his as the world needed a hero in its darkest hour. There was no way he could have done it alone, which was why all of his friends pitched in and went their separate ways to cover more ground. That only left two powerful allies to accompany him on the greater mission as the rest of his friends rescued the weaker and abundant wild Shadow Pokémon. There was Anabel, a fair young woman whose love for Ash's capacity for many things from Pokémon to personality was second to none, and Paul, a bitter and grudging rival that sought to be the strongest by defeating Ash in battle.

Despite a trio made from the unlikeliest of individuals, their power had proven to be more than quite a match against various adversaries in Orre. Yet while their strength combined was a powerful asset, their overall cooperation was unstable and constantly on the edge. Paul's distant impatience and apathetic chains to his austere past had caused him to fall away from the group on his own terms, gravely desiring the fall of a cowardly criminal organization like Reverse-Cipher to crumble by his hands while seeking his own way back into the light. The dangerous threats and tension had targeted upon the couple of Ash and Anabel since then. The former's great concern over the latter's well-being had clouded his judgment as his recklessness and rash decision to charge in against a powerful Shadow Pokémon army had nearly cost her life. Prior to two weeks, Ash forcibly broke up with her for her own safety. He left her behind as he began to draw all of Reverse-Cipher's attention upon himself, brutally beating every Peon he encountered down into the sandy ground while releasing their purified Shadow Pokémon from their possessions. He had not acquired any new Shadow Pokémon since his capture of Hitmontop from a Reverse-Cipher Peon called Skrub two weeks ago, but capturing purified Pokémon did not matter much to him anyway. Regarding the infected Pokémon in their wake, all he had to do was break them from their containment and purify them with his potent aura powers. He only had one goal on mind.

"My name is Ash Ketchum… and I have no regrets…"

Ash was to ensure the safety of the world and its inhabitants by personally disbanding the vicious criminal organization himself. He was a powerful Trainer and Aura Guardian, no doubt, but the young man could not help but feel rather hollow and alone as he traveled around the Orre region and freed a lot more locations from Reverse-Cipher's influence. Even though he composed a team of six powerful and loyal Pokémon, including Pikachu, by his side, it could only be considered one factor as there was another that continued to gnaw away within his soul.

_A broken heart seemed better than a broken body and spirit, at that time anyway_, Ash mused, quickly clearing his throat to cover his words upon feeling Pikachu's prying gaze on him. The Mouse Pokémon, however, was wise to his emotions and his futile ways of concealing them. He gave Ash an inquisitive look, to which the Aura Guardian lowered his head and covered his eyes within his fedora brim's shadow. "What?"

"Pikapi, Pika Pikachu," Pikachu surmised, sounding rather unimpressed by his façade of a hardened exterior. Ash grunted softly before looking away.

"Not a day goes by that I still miss her, but I've already caused her so much pain to turn back now," Ash mumbled, his voice lowering in volume as his head lowered slightly. "I did what I had to because I cared about her. Even _you_ have seen the increasing dangers that Reverse-Cipher's throwing our way, not even she could handle forever. I couldn't keep exposing her to that."

"Pika Pi-ka!" Pikachu retorted, desperately shaking his head and reasoning against Ash's decision of his and Anabel's breakup.

"Maybe so, but better us than her to suffer the blunt of their violent attacks and ambushes," Ash replied in a low tone, looking straight ahead towards the looming locomotive engine stand. "I'm not too worried about not gaining her forgiveness immediately right now, but after all this is done, it would take a miracle to see if she still wants to be involved with me." He made it far in his travels within Orre. From what a local inhabitant of the desert region had told him, he and Pikachu were now at Outskirt Stand. Quickly scanning the area as the lonely winds blew sand all around him, his ears picked up a melancholic tune played by someone's harmonica. Its sporadic, but forlorn notes strangely fit the mood of both the dusty, desolate area and Ash himself.

"Pika?"

"Whoever's playing it is inside," Ash surmised, gingerly taking in a few more steps as the duo was about to enter the stand. Passing by the half-buried wooden wheel and green gasoline stand, he slowly walked up the ramp and noticed that the lonely harmonica tune was becoming louder. Unlike the outside though, within the Outskirt Stand was a small bar and restaurant with a handful of weary travelers to which neither Ash nor Pikachu ever saw.

"Pi-ka…," Pikachu sighed in wonderment.

"It's almost quiet without that harmonica song," Ash commented to himself.

"I reckon I should be takin' that as a compliment then," a gruff, dull voice replied in a western drawl. Ash briefly stumbled from the sharp turn on his heel, finding out where the voice came from. "Down here, pipsqueak." He stiffly looked down on the bar stool next to him to see a man several years older than him lying his arms casually upon the polished counter. The stranger had spiky pink hair, long pink sideburns, a beige jacket with red designs on front, casual blue jeans, and burgundy leather boots. "What are you lookin' at, punk?"

"What?!" Ash grunted, easily becoming frustrated by the man's rather aloof demeanor and laidback posture. His narrowed eyes scanned the man from head to toe, discovering a shiny piece of metal in his right hand. "What's that in your hand?"

"Huh…? Oh, this thing? Man, you're mighty dense right there," the man remarked, smirking at the infuriated look on the young Aura Guardian's face. "I reckoned you realized that this here harmonica belongs to me, seeing as you wanted to know where the music came from." Ash's expression relaxed as did the stranger, who turned and faced the pretty young waitress polishing a glass cup behind the counter. "Hey, Miss! Give my new friend a fresh drink on me!" The woman smiled and nodded; she was apparently friendly and familiar towards the western-styled man.

_Wow, he insults me for not knowing that he played the harmonica and now he's ordering me a drink at a bar because we're… friends…?_ Ash thought, scratching the back of his head in bewilderment as he nonchalantly took a seat next to the man. "So, we're friends already?"

"Why not? You're a nice, if somewhat idiotic-lookin', feller," he replied, earning another fierce glare from the younger man for the insult meant to be a compliment. "I mean, what kind of feller goes around Orre wearing something out of some fancy masquerade ball?" The man lazily picked up a part of Ash's cape and rubbed his fingers on the fabric. He looked beyond the Aura Guardian cape and noticed that he also wore a red shirt with a white collar and zipper with black sleeves underneath. "Hmm, mighty fine clothes you got there, so I'm guessin' that you must be from out of town."

"I'm not from around here actually," Ash said, taking his cape back from the man with a light tug. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. My name's Ash and my buddy here is Pikachu." He gave the Mouse Pokémon a soft pet on the head, much to Pikachu's delight as he playfully followed his hand.

"My name is Willie," the man grinned, proudly jerking a thumb towards his pearly whites. "I'm sorry if I acted like a jerk before, but I reckon most fellers know how to get on my nerves without even knowin' how."

"That's alright, but it almost looked like you were drunk or something," Ash shrugged, indicating to the waitress behind the counter that he preferred the bottle of orange juice that his eye caught by the lone corner of the shelf. He glanced back at Willie, who looked like he had an expression of guilt for a committed act of crime. "… No way."

"Relax, kid," Willie groaned, yawning as he stretched his arms up in the air, creating audible cracks in his joints. "I've been six weeks sober. I'm just in a glum mood for not getting enough sleep lately. How annoying…"

"So what are you doing here, Willie?" Ash asked, watching the woman prepare his drink with professional elegance. She spun the empty glass on its bottom with her manicured fingertips, catching it halfway on its body before delicately pouring the orange juice and adding ice cubes as a bonus. She gingerly slid the full glass towards Ash. She smiled upon the work she prided herself on helping weary travelers and refreshing them before they depart into the relentless sandstorms of the Orre region. "Thank you very much." With a nod, the cheery female bartender went back to polishing the glasses as he faced Willie.

"I am a Rider, but I reckon that you don't know where I'm getting at, do you?" Willie surmised, confirmed by the shake of his new friend's clueless head. "Well, partner, my goal in life is to just explore and experience the sweet taste of freedom before _that time_ comes. There are many more guys and gals that share the same lifestyle as I do, so I reckon you'll come to meet more Riders here in Orre."

"That's pretty cool," Ash commented, followed by a nod from Pikachu. "So what do you mean by 'that time' coming?" Willie sighed, pressing the tips of his fingers together into a circle before taking another deep breath.

"Man, answering questions is annoying," Willie grumbled, sitting erect on his bar stool. "Fine, but listen once because I hate having to repeat myself again. By 'that time,' I meant it's the time when we must settle down, start a family, and run a ranch of Pokémon according to our family's customs in order to serve the Orre region. For mine, my family's raising Stantler while others import other domesticated Pokémon like Miltank and Tauros."

"Why Stantler?" Ash inquired.

"You're killing me here with these bothersome questions, partner," Willie drawled, slumping upon the counter and yawned. Ash raised an eyebrow and poked him to make sure he was still awake and aware.

"Are you sure you're sober or do you just need more hours of sleep?" Ash remarked, frowning at his rather lackadaisical attitude towards him. Willie looked away with his head hidden within his arms, pretending to be asleep until his new friend continued to poke his head for a response. Despite his excessive laidback personality, he was quick to bite back when his peace was greatly disturbed.

"Knock it off!" Willie threatened, softening his look to show that he really meant no harm to the startled Aura Guardian and his equally shocked Pikachu. "Sorry, partner, but I've got too much on my plate to deal with folks like you. To be younger and enjoy the taste of freedom again, but that part of me is now pushin' up daisies."

"So what? It's not like you've got to get married anyway to go on with your life," Ash replied offhandedly, earning a dark look from the cowboy that contradicted his entire statement otherwise. "Oh, I see…" Willie sighed, but he knew that this young man would not leave him alone without a long-winded explanation from him, no matter how troublesome

"See, the thing is that I've been searchin' mighty high and low for that one woman for me," Willie explained, sighing as he took another quick shot of his small drink right beside him on the counter. "Most women I meet are just dang nasty and troublesome."

"What do you mean?"

"They're downright bossy, that's what I mean!" Willie exclaimed in a slight slur, jolting back up with his back completely straight. "Scary _and_ bossy; it's a lethal combination that would send even the mightiest of men runnin' back home with their tails between their legs. I know what I'm talking about as it all started with my maw…"

_Strange, Anabel was never like that, but I guess he hasn't met anyone like her yet_, Ash thought, looking down as Willie continued to ramble about women being so troublesome that he might as well stay single and break the Rider tradition of settling down at old age and starting a family ranch. _Of course, she hasn't always been quiet and in the background. She did have her moments of leadership and speaking her mind, but that was when her friends or I was in danger. Still, I kind of miss her even more now, but her safety comes first and foremost…_

"Hey, you awake, kid?" Willie queried as it was his turn to bring Ash back into reality with several weak, careless pokes. Ash jerked his head up, witnessing the smirk on his new friend's face from his previous predicament. "You know, you look a bit underage to start losing your grip of reality to a beverage."

"What?!"

"Kiddin'! Sheesh…," Willie mumbled, lightheartedly ruffling the top of Ash's hat before his expression turned grim. "But aside from that, you shouldn't have broken up with _her_." Ash's eyes widened, gazing upon the Rider with boundless astonishment. "How do I know? They say that you can tell a lot from a feller from his actions and responses to certain situations. Heh! Looks like we're both more than what meets the eye, Ash."

"Whoa, slow down for a second!" Ash demanded, still recovering from the shock of Willie's sudden knowledge over his own conflicting situation. "How could you tell that I broke up with a girl recently? Are you a mind reader or something?!"

"Get a grip, kid," Willie sighed, getting Ash to calm down with the motion of his hands moving down as the disturbing revelation started to wear off. "It's somethin' men call 'common sense.' See, I noticed how down you were while I spilt my heart and soul upon you. By the way, it's downright rude to ignore a man and his future aspirations, but I'll let it go this time since you're a mighty fine kid and all. Anyway, right up to the point where I told how I broke off from my last girlfriend because she was too much of an overbearing worrywart, you looked away with the common face look of regret. The feeling even lingered in your normally bright eyes. You had the same look I had every time I moved on from woman to woman, but worse. This girl must have been special for your entire life to be completely drained out of you." Willie gave off a warm smile and placed a tough, yet comforting hand on Ash's right shoulder, having said what he needed to say without even considering a complaint on how much he had to explain to his younger friend. "So it's like I said, partner. You can tell a lot about a feller by observin' his every move."

Ash and Pikachu were left speechless as their mouths remained agape throughout the entire explanation. Willie was no ordinary Rider, no doubt. His brief, but nearly perfectly concise analysis of how he ascertained an overall premise of his last dilemma was beyond extraordinary. This ordinary man could have been considered a political genius if he was a bit more ambitious, but he chose the laidback lifestyle of a Rider and roamed the sands of Orre to his heart's content. Willie was a strange guy, but then again, most people Ash met while traversing through the Orre region had their own quirks as the natives themselves considered him and his friends to stand out as well. Waiting for the young travelers to wake from their astonished stupor, Willie requested another drink to keep him satisfied until that time. Almost reaching a minute since their shock, which was quite an achievement, Ash's and Pikachu's faces relaxed as they regained self-control.

"I still can't believe that you actually paid close attention to my every move," Ash muttered, feeling rather drained as a result of his prolonged astonishment.

"I actually didn't have to try; you just left yourself out in the open, which is bad against predators in the shadows," Willie drawled, placing his hands behind his spiky-haired head. "That reminds me. How about I see you in battle?"

"A battle?" Ash repeated, his ears pricking up from hearing his favorite words as a grin extended from ear to ear, eagerly receiving an invitation to a Pokémon battle. "I never turn down a challenge! But why pop that out all of a sudden?" Willie smirked, standing up from his stool and casually walked towards the small exit of the Outskirt Stand bar.

"I've met many fellers throughout all my years hangin' out in this here old place," Willie explained, stretching and twisting his back until audible cracks from his bone joints were heard. "I faced men in good ol' showdowns, ranging from the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly. Two Trainers so far left a strong impression on me, and I'm not easily impressed. Several years back, I faced a tall young man in a blue coat and a strange device on his arm. Five years after that, a kid who's probably your age now with spiky red hair and another similar device on his arm faced me in battle. You, out of all of them, are truly a wonder and I haven't seen you in action."

"The two Trainers you mentions, were they the saviors of Orre?" Ash asked, his tone suddenly turned somber.

"Last I check, they were," Willie shrugged indifferently, yet the look on his face said otherwise. "I don't care much for current events these days since those despicable Reverse-Cipher varmints have the run of the region. I'm just lookin' out for number one."

"I guess that's understandable," Ash said in an even tone, walking towards the exit of the stand as the muscles in his face slowly tensed. "But while others suffered Reverse-Cipher's attacks, couldn't you have done a thing about it?" Willie knew what Ash was implicating and sighed, shaking his lowered head in dissatisfaction while holding up two fingers.

"Two reasons; the first one is suicide," Willie explained as though he was out of breath. He narrowed his eyes at the weary Aura Guardian and his Pikachu, noting that they made no reaction to his first brief explanation. "Really, as much as I'd love to help, I reckoned I wouldn't be much use to anyone else if I was in the belly of their beast."

"And reason number two?" Ash prodded, maintaining a rather stoic look to learn more of Willie's somewhat selfish reasons. The pink-haired Rider shook his head disapprovingly, sighing tiresomely again for the umpteenth time in a row.

"It's not my place to get involved in bothersome messes such as those," Willie stated bluntly, clearing his throat roughly as though he was about to spit up. Ash backed away slowly, but realized that he was not about to do such a repulsive act while inside the Outskirt Stand bar. "Let them folks deal with their own troubles. I've got mine and they've got theirs. It ain't easy livin' in this here world now that Reverse-Cipher's monster is on the loose. I reckon that no one would be foolish enough to tango with that thing, much less try to rope it back in order."

"_I_ am," Ash announced gravely. Upon hearing him, Willie's entire expression changed completely from lethargic indifference to utter shock and possibly concern. The Rider glared at the young Aura Guardian for such a bold and foolish move, which was all the more reason to test if he was the real deal, just like _those two_.

"Who am I to judge?" Willie mumbled, yet kept a serious expression plastered on his gruff face. "But I hope you understand that you're just asking for your own burial just by declaring your opposition against those rowdy Shadow punks."

"Why would you care?" Ash retorted, his severe look remaining the same as did Pikachu's. "You said that you were looking out for number one. Why would you suddenly care about me?" Willie sighed into a groan, knowing that this young man was as stubborn as he was determined. A battle should give him a better analysis of this defiant Aura Guardian with the Pikachu on his shoulder. He did have some knowledge of what an Aura Guardian was, especially their usual style of uniform involving dark, ragged capes, blue fedora hats, and that invisible vibe of power that just radiated from them without explanation.

"I reckon that we should just save the pleasantries after the battle, son," Willie muttered, leading him out of the locomotive and into the aimless winds carrying grains of weightless sand outside the abandoned gasoline stand. "Let's get it _on_!"

* * *

_Rider Willie would like to battle!_

It was high noon. The bright Orre sun, hanging overhead the Outskirt Stand, shone without any hint of hindrance from the threatening shadows hiding within the dark corners of the region. Within the large field of sand and soft concrete were two young combatants raring to go. Their own shadows were barely visible on the ground as they remained hidden away underneath their feet from the scorching rays of the noon sun in the sky. The sandstorm winds remained as unpredictable as ever, blowing in several directions while carrying light traces of bronze sand grains that glittered along their trails. The two Trainers looked ready, but they did not move a single muscle. Not even the Pikachu standing next to his best friend could move a single inch of his body, which was most likely out of apprehensive excitement.

"So, are we going by the standard Orre Double Battle rules?" Ash inquired, cautiously placing a hand near the side of his belt hidden underneath his cloak.

"That's correct, _partner_," Willie replied, exposing his sneering teeth in a growl. "One round will decide this whole charade if you are man enough to take on those Reverse-Cipher punks. Now… _draw_!" At the sudden rough shout, Willie flung his wrist forward and tossed out two spinning Poké Balls into the field. The Poké Balls snapped open and in a white flash brighter than the sun, a Linoone and a Furret materialized with eager cries resonating in the open desert space while scurrying towards the center of the sandy battlefield.

"A Linoone _and _a Furret…? They don't seem to be _your_ kind of Pokémon, Willie," Ash commented after watching the Pokémon's brief display of speed and maneuverability while heading towards the center. He picked off two decided Poké Balls from his belt, enlarging them and threw them to engage his energetic opponents. "Floatzel and Hitmontop, I choose you!"

Ash's Pokémon appeared before Linoone and Furret without delay, flexing into fighting poses the moment the light dissipated from their bodies. Over the past two weeks since the breakup with Anabel, Ash had to ensure his own survival by constantly rotating his Pokémon now and again while forcing himself to tell the truth about the standing of the divided team to Professor Oak, who in turn notified everyone else of the news, including his own friends fighting wild Shadow Pokémon in the Kanto and Johto regions. While they all sourly disapproved of his outrageous decision to break up with Anabel and somewhat on his eventual disregard of his secondary objective of finding Paul, especially since they lost contact with the Salon Maiden at the same time, they all forced themselves to set aside their personal feelings of Ash's severed allies and continued to aid him as the world was still at stake. They were especially worried of the Aura Guardian's slight change in demeanor now that he was fighting Reverse-Cipher alone; he was a little more serious and did not give out reassuring smiles as often as he once did. Duty came first, unfortunately, and they all promised their time to save the wild Pokémon as Ash continued to travel into the heart of Orre with his own team of Pokémon.

"Hitmon-top!" Hitmontop exclaimed zealously, leaping onto his spike and delivered several kicks into the air before standing back on two feet. The act strangely got both Linoone and Furret to cringe in fear from his fierce kicks to the air. His partner smirked, brandishing the sleek blue fins on his arms as a sharp white tooth gleamed from the corner of Floatzel's mouth.

"_Zel…_," Floatzel grunted to himself, narrowing his eyes on the anxious Linoone leering back at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.

_Strange choices, but I'd like to see what plans he has for them_, Willie thought, quickly scanning Ash's Pokémon and contemplating on their possible levels of potential. "I made the first draw. I reckon it's your turn, Ash."

"Fine! Floatzel, start off with Aqua Jet on Linoone! Hitmontop, use Rolling Kick on Furret!"

"Floa! Zel!" Floatzel growled, launching himself off with ground with conjured water engulfing his entire body like a capsule. The Sea Weasel Pokémon flew speedily in the air, colliding roughly into Furret, whose slim body was radiating a sort of energy signal that somehow attracted Floatzel to the Long Body Pokémon instead.

"What?!"

"Looks like you didn't know that my Furret knew a certain move called 'Follow Me,'" Willie replied rather sarcastically. Ash's auburn eyes widened at the revelation while he observed Floatzel and Hitmontop furiously focusing their attacks on an elusive Furret while Linoone gained a fair distance away from the heated brawl. "Ever heard of it? No? How troublesome, but I reckon I should explain it anyway. Follow Me is a move that attracts the attacks of all opponent Pokémon solely upon the user, especially useful in Double Battles since Furret is leading your little lambs to the slaughter. Furret, use Attract!"

"Fur-_ret_!" Furret shouted rather blissfully, releasing a shower of orange hearts from a twirl of her slim body. Several of those hearts exploded all around Floatzel and Hitmontop upon contact, giving both tough fighters goofy love-struck expressions on their dull faces. It was palpable to all that from the look in their dulled, nearly colorless pupils that they had fallen in love with Furret.

"Oh, no!" Ash seethed, clenching his fists upon discovering that he easily fell into one of Willie's weak traps. Both of his Pokémon were male, and now they have been completely infatuated over the opposing Long Body Pokémon with the spell of Attract brainwashing them. _At least it shouldn't be as bad as the time we faced that wicked Togepi… Ugh…_

"See here? This only proves that women are nothin' but trouble," Willie drawled, lazily folding his arms across his chest. "They lure you in with their 'playin' hard to get' and before long, you're at their mercy."

"Is your purpose in battle just to tell me that women are bad news?" Ash retorted, struggling to remain calm as his face burned bright red from watching Floatzel and Hitmontop giving gaga looks to a bashful-looking Furret, not noticing a sinister twinkle gleaming from the corner of her round blue eye.

"Not really," Willie replied with a careless shrug of his shoulders. "I've only watch you battle so far, and now I'm not so impressed. They say that you could tell a lot about a feller on how he fights, and you were reckless at the very start of our challenge."

"I thought you said that you can 'tell a lot about a feller by observin' his every move' or something like that!" Ash yelled, fuming from the subtle lessons his supposed laidback friend was conveying onto him. Willie shook his head and groaned at his complete impatience.

_Perhaps he's just not letting things naturally get to him; he expects too much_, Willie thought, massaging the bridge of his nose in between his eyes to ensure his own calm composure. It was time that he had to force it in order for the younger man to truly understand. "Hey, Ash!"

"What?" Ash snapped, tightening every muscle upon the call of his name. Pikachu slowly backed away, worried by the current circumstance of the battle.

"If you want to win this match, then put a lid on it and _cool it_!" Willie shouted, rasping his last two words as loudly as he could. _Tch… Whether he understands this now or not is becoming a complete waste of time. I'm ending this now._ He noticed that Ash did not move a single inch of muscle, yet his expression had relaxed while keeping a serious persona. His reaction, however, was of little importance unless it led to that one thing. "Linoone, use Belly Drum and Rest! Furret, continue herdin' them away with Follow Me!"

"Li-_noo-noo-noone-noo-noo-noone-noo-noo-NOONE-NOONE-NOONE_!" Linoone bellowed lividly upon every pound on its thin stomach, singing fiercely as his increasing power flared into the form of visible red aura emanating from its sleek, furry body. "Li-noone! Li-noone!" The Rushing Pokémon dashed into a far corner of the battlefield, falling into a sudden slumber as commanded previously. With an effective strategy that called for heightened attack strength and eventual rejuvenation of its health, Willie smirked as his Linoone would be quite an unpredictable force for Ash to be reckoned with.

_And with his Pokémon still gaga and forced to follow Furret, this showdown's in the bag_, Willie thought, his expression looked rather morose as he stared at the ground. _I thought that this kid was goin' to give me somethin' to look forward to in life, but that's what happens when I care about someone. They're always taken away…_

"Hitmontop, use Rapid Spin! Let's go!"

"Hitmon…!" Hitmontop shouted, leaping onto the spike on his head. Though he was still under the spell of Furret's Attract, the Handstand Pokémon managed to overcome his infatuation time after time and spun until every detail of his small body was blurred by his speed. He whipped up a miniature dust devil, whose sharp currents managed to get a hold of the Long Body Pokémon and threw her aside. Willie's eyes jolted wide open; the luck of the counterattack had begun.

"Floatzel, I know you can break through this! Use Razor Wind!"

"Floa…," Floatzel groaned, limping forward with an arm reeled with a goofy and smitten expression on his face present. "Floa…" No one knew what was going to happen next as the Sea Weasel Pokémon simply froze in place with his arm held back. A few tense seconds passed and Floatzel had come to a decision. "Floa… _Zel_!" With a quick thrust of his arm in which no eye was able to notice, a glowing blade of wind was launched from Floatzel's fin and squarely struck Furret in the chest before the Long Body Pokémon could have recovered from Hitmontop's lucky Rapid Spin. The sharp power and blunt force of the Razor Wind effectively knocked her into submission.

"Oh… Furret, return," Willie mumbled, recalling her back into her Poké Ball. With Furret gone, the Attract spell was shattered and both of Ash's Pokémon quickly regained their serious demeanors without any knowledge prior to being ambushed by Furret. "That'll do, darlin'. That'll do…" He placed the Poké Ball back on his belt before taking a glance at Ash's fervent Pokémon. "I reckon that with a little luck, anything can happen. And speaking of luck…" At the same moment, Linoone was discovered running back to the center of the field, having regained lost stamina from its Belly Drum. Both Hitmontop and Floatzel became weary of the Rushing Pokémon's returned presence.

"We still have teamwork, guys," Ash announced, keeping his cool in spite of the victory over Furret. "We have to overwhelm Linoone before it can touch us. Hitmontop, use Triple Kick! Floatzel, use Water Pulse!"

"Linoone, use Fury Swipes!"

"Linoone!" Linoone growled, glaring at its two opponents as they advanced forward with their attacks. Hitmontop launched himself into the air, spinning upside-down with his feet extended out for extra power. The Rushing Pokémon leapt up as well to counter him with its own front claws, matching hit for hit and power for power upon every collision. Linoone would not have stood a chance against Triple Kick without the boost from Belly Drum energizing its claws with enough power to actually drive back the Handstand Pokémon upon completion of his Triple Kick.

"Zel!" Floatzel's grunt resonated in the vicinity, the daring shout echoing in Linoone's ears.

Linoone did not have turn around to know that a concentrated sphere of vibrant blue water was hurled towards it. The moment that Hitmontop backed off from the completion of his Triple Kick, the Rushing Pokémon completely turned its slim body around with a left claw swinging along around as well to knock back the Water Pulse to its creator. Floatzel was taken aback from the sheer power and dexterity Linoone had proved capable enough as to send back his own Water Pulse against him. The Sea Weasel Pokémon crossed his arms in front of his face, bracing against the volatile impact of his own attack turned against him. Following the Water Pulse blowing back up in Floatzel's face, both Willie and Linoone noted that Ash's Pokémon had begun to reach their limits since their troublesome distraction by Furret.

"We're taking you down one at a time," Willie declared; Ash could have sworn that he heard some sort of passionate emotion in the Rider's tone, but brushed it off for later. "Linoone, go after Hitmontop and don't let up on your Fury Swipes!"

"Linoone-noone-_noone_!" Linoone growled, rushing forward with extended frontal claws glowing keenly as it leapt towards the patient Hitmontop. "Li-_noone_!" Linoone was about to pounce and mow down Hitmontop with the ferocity of its sharpened claws. The Handstand Pokémon remained rooted in his spot, suddenly smirking for no reason as he had waited for an opportunity such as this.

"Hitmontop, use Detect! Let's go!"

"Hit-mon!" Hitmontop shouted, his beady black eyes flashed green. He bent backwards as Linoone sailed over him with claws barely scraping across the airspace in front of Hitmontop's face. It was as though time froze as the Handstand Pokémon easily avoided the initial swipe and waited for the command for a counterattack.

"Send Linoone flying with Rolling Kick!"

"Hit-mooooon…!" Hitmontop yelled, garnering power in his legs for a bicycle kick to ultimately knock-out the vulnerable Linoone flying overhead. With a confident smirk, he leapt up and sent a foot towards a strangely lax Rushing Pokémon. Ash had caught the expression, but it was too late to do anything about it as Willie remained a step ahead.

"Strike down with your tail, Linoone!"

"Li-noone!" Linoone grunted, flicking its tail down to trip and mislead the direction of Hitmontop's foot. It sent his foot centimeters aside with the flick of its tail, which was far enough for Linoone to avoid a direct effective hit while acquiring enough time to fight back.

"The first attack was a fake, and it worked," Willie remarked, nodding in satisfaction to the success of his critical strategy before frowning at Floatzel's intervention. _And that was enough for me to know more about you, Ash…_

"You still forgot about Floatzel!" Ash exclaimed with victory almost at hand. "Floatzel, use Aqua Jet!"

"Zel!" Floatzel growled, immediately ramming into Linoone from the propulsion of his conjured water. The force of the abrupt momentum was sufficient enough to shove the Rushing Pokémon aside and into defeat as it remained on the ground without any sign of movement at all. Willie understood and recalled Linoone without a single word.

"Tch… Wiped out," Willie mumbled as he placed Linoone's Poké Ball away, but smiled inwardly to himself with the knowledge that the Orre region was in a new set of good hands. "I still need seasoning."

* * *

"That was an awesome battle, Willie," Ash complimented, extending a friendly hand out to the Rider. "I really needed that, so thanks!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed from Ash's shoulder, displaying his own show of gratitude as well.

"Not a problem, amigos," Willie replied with a grin, giving him the handshake he deserved. "I reckon I learned just enough about you, kid, from both your quirks and your battlin' style."

"Huh?"

"Your tactics from our showdown were unpredictable and unconventional at best, while at the same time, ruthless and brutal," Willie explained. The last words he used to describe Ash did not seem right at all, but before the Aura Guardian could interject, the Rider stopped him with a wave of his hand. "I'm willin' to bet that you've grown hard and into a real man was from losin' those close to you."

"Well, I didn't exactly lose them, but they _were_ left behind for several reasons," Ash replied, sounding rather hesitant to explain the whole situation to a man he had just met in one day. "You see, I—."

"Enough. You don't have to go into detail if the story's too troublesome for you to recount."

"Thanks, Willie."

"_Hyuooo_!" a haunting howl echoed from a fair distance away from the Outskirt Stand. The howl strangely caused Ash, Pikachu, and Willie to temporarily tremble in fear as chills ran down their backs from the startling call.

"W-What was that?" Ash asked, attempting to stabilize his position and quit his shuddering. His strong will alone managed to break him out of his fear. Pikachu and Willie recovered a few seconds after, both still wondering what had caused them to tremble.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu announced, pointing up north and discovering the source to be an approaching black Pokémon with some sort of sack tied to its side. Ash and Willie glanced at the oncoming Pokémon; the former secretly got a read on its aura to discern its identity while the latter related the frightening howl as a unique quality to a certain Dark Pokémon on mind.

"No way…," Ash mumbled, falling into a loss of words as he never would have guessed to see _it_ any time soon.

"It's a Houndoom," Willie stated, not realizing the approaching Houndoom's true meaning while Ash and Pikachu looked like they were about to explode out of excitement from seeing an old friend in their midst.

"That's not just any Houndoom," Ash explained as the Houndoom passed the locomotive engine and slowed its pace in front of the company. "It's Justy's Houndoom."

"Justy? You mean, _the_ Phenac City Pre Gym Leader Justy?" Willie reiterated, surprised to find out that a significant figure like him would send his own Pokémon out in the wild for some sort of task. Ash nodded as Houndoom reached its head into the sack on its side and pulled out a rectangular disk with a large spherical center, which activated upon its two small buttons being pressed down by Houndoom's fangs. A familiar charming figure from the recent past, albeit smaller and holographic, appeared on top of the center with a message to apparently deliver.

"_Ash Ketchum,_" Justy's hologram began, his resonant tone sounding rather urgent, "_I hope that my Houndoom had managed to find you since it was the perfect candidate to survive against the Orre wilderness while still capable of tracking you down via scent. But that's not important right now as long as you got this message._"

"Justy, what's going on?" Ash asked straight away. Willie sighed exasperatedly, wondering if the young Aura Guardian knew that he was talking to a mere holographic projection and not the real Phenac Pre Gym Leader himself.

"_I don't know what happened in your team, but I've heard rumors over the past two weeks that our newest saviors have broken up_," Justy explained, his personage expressing austerity and disappointment with its gestures. "_You're now traveling alone without a tough ally like Paul or even your own girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend in your case._" Ash glowered as the past regrets began to wash over him again. He felt Pikachu's sympathy, but that alone just did not feel enough to make him better. "_Anyway, my sources indicate that a purple-haired person was heading into Pyrite Town._" The mere mention of Pyrite Town gave Willie even worse chills down his spine than listening to Houndoom's howls."_We couldn't distinguish who exactly, but I just felt obligated to let you know. And if you do decide to investigate Pyrite Town, do it with the utmost caution. And now, I bid you adieu._" Justy's hologram had shut off. Ash stared blankly at the disk held in the Dark Pokémon's mouth.

"I… I don't know what to do now," Ash muttered, his mind clouded by the ghosts and doubts of his past. Before he could consider more of his remaining options, the holographic disk reactivated and Justy's figure reappeared once more.

"_By the way, since Houndoom came out all this way to find you, do you mind taking some time off feeding it before sending it back out?_" Justy requested, followed by a nod from Houndoom. "_I'd really appreciate the gesture, and I'm sure Houndoom would, too. So take care, Ash. This is Justy signing off._" In another flash, his hologram disappeared and Houndoom discarded it with a flick of its head.

"Go…," Willie said curtly. Ash whipped his head back in the Rider's direction, perplexed by the sudden eviction. It was all said in his narrowed eyes. "Help your friends. That's what you need to do right now instead of looking for more trouble from those Reverse-Cipher hooligans. I'll take care of Houndoom. You take care of your friends as you should've done a long time ago." In all of the wisdom he tried to impart into Ash, this was probably the best one by far. Ash nodded wordlessly, still too shocked from listening to Justy's discovery of the purple-haired individual heading into a location called Pyrite Town.

"I guess… I'll see you around," Ash mumbled as he and Pikachu turned their backs to Willie, Houndoom, and Outskirt Stand. The winds of sand blew across the open field. More uncertainty was hidden underneath the golden grains of sand. Willie nodded, leading Houndoom up the ramp into the isolated locomotive. Before Ash reached a fair distance, he felt the Rider's gaze tapping him on the back, trying to give him one last warning before he continued his travels across Orre.

"Beware of Pyrite Town, an honorable town of thugs and scoundrels…"

* * *

**You got to wonder who Ash will run into in Pyrite Town. Anyway, here's a bit of trivia for you all if you hadn't already picked it out. The intro of the chapter is similar to one of the episodes in the animated _Teen Titans_, with Ash's grim voice-over. His current outfit, well just imagine Ash wearing Red's outfit from FireRed/LeafGreen and recently HeartGold/SoulSilver, except with a black, ragged cape and blue hat like his costume from _Lucario and the Mystery of Mew_. Willie's personality; I didn't know how it would go and I didn't know what types of personalities I hadn't included yet, until a friend of mine suggested making Willie's character a tribute to **_**Naruto **_**character, Shikamaru Nara, as a cowboy version of him. I'll admit that I even liked his humorous, but wise character. Willie was the first Trainer Wes faces in **_**Pokémon Colosseum**_**, so in a way, he did help out by showing the basics of battling in Orre. **

**Though it's not much, the tune Linoone sung in its Belly Drum is supposed to sound something like the William Tell Overture. The part where Houndoom acted as a messenger with a sack was a reference to the Johto episode, **_**Houndoom's Special Delivery**_**, which also featured Misty's Togepi. Speaking of Togepi, have you seen its most recent anime appearance in Diamond and Pearl? **

**Well, I finished this chapter right after I finished my first college paper on critical analysis of one side of an argument; the side argument being how divorce does not scar children for life, but instead gives them maturity. That was fun, not really, and I so don't feel like going into detail about it again for a while… **

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	29. Proposition

**Well, I'm getting to be pretty busy these days now. Studying for exams that for the days I take them are my responsibility, working on rough drafts for projects due weeks from now; yeah, this is the life. But when I do have nothing else to do, whether it would be homework or hanging out with my new friends in the dorms, such free time slowly creates this chapter day by day. I don't know when I'll ever be able to update again, but if I do… Just be happy when I do.**

**One last note: I had problems with Fanfiction's page format and I could not post this chapter or do much on anything else. Strangely, the whole page format turned back to normal Sunday, October 18, 2009. Hmm… I'm not complaining though. At least now I am able to update and even review.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

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* * *

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Light slowly pierced through the darkness in the sky. The threat seemed to be fading away, but all who had lived through it for the past seven to eight months knew that this disaster was not over yet, not as long as fear still reined control over the hearts of the weak-willed. The skies of the Kanto region were almost experiencing a total reunion with the sun in what seemed to be ages since then. The wild Pokémon were slowly regaining their rationality after having built up immunity towards the insidious ShadowPokérus since their purification. There had been tons needed to be saved since then, but their lasting friendship and surprisingly, their tolerance for one another, managed to hang tough as they went back to Pallet Town to rest before taking on the final strip of land quarantined and in need of purification. Gary, Brock, Zoey, and Drew had the wide route leading up to the Indigo Plateau left, as well as a few sections of the grand Mt. Silver nested upon the Kanto side, left to take care of after they finish their rest in Professor Oak's laboratory.

"So you think Professor Oak and Namba have finally settled their differences yet?" Drew asked, out of the blue with an indifferent shrug of his arms. Gary and Zoey gave him a look while Brock scanned ahead of the path illuminated by pure, released sunlight. "Really, guys. The last call we received from them ended up in some mumbo-jumbo squabble about the ShadowPokérus that nearly broke my ears."

"Drew, if your ears are broken, then you know that I can heal them," Zoey replied, winking with a wide grin as her Coordinator boyfriend blushed slightly while attempting to hide it in futility. "I'm surprised that you haven't shown concern over your other looks, not even to your own roses."

"Gang, we've made it this far and certainly we've all grown out of old habits as we fought off wild Shadow Pokémon," Gary stated, looking back at the couple that now joined hands before exhaling a gracious sigh. "Unfortunately, we all can't say the same for our main heroes."

"Hmm…," Brock grunted softly, his head slightly lowering in glum sympathy upon hearing him.

The mood suddenly dropped as though a cold snap flew through the entire town. They all heard of the news almost two weeks ago on what had happened to Ash and the others in the Orre region. Though the news of Paul's defection did not incite much reaction from them since they would not out it past him to do so, they equally felt sharp, shattering jabs into their hearts from learning about Ash breaking up with Anabel for her own safety. In their minds, they figured that the trials in Orre became too much strain and friction for their friendship and had begun taking matters into their own hands. It really was a pity so see such wonderful friendships go to waste, especially when Ash confessed to them about Paul actually seeing the young Aura Guardian like a true rival and secret friend before he left to find his own path back into the light.

_So much has happened_, all four of them thought without knowing the musings of each other. _I hope they get back together soon…_ The four of them crossed through the quiet Pallet Town, ignoring the various activities of hiding or resuming daily life from the townspeople. Ash's mother and her Mr. Mime did not seem too bothered by the looming threat of darkness while tending to their front garden when they passed the Ketchum residence. However, even they could note the gloomy expression on Delia's face when news of her son leaving his girlfriend and rival behind had reached her domicile. Upon reaching an earshot vicinity of Professor Oak's laboratory, however, a loud crash was heard disrupting the cold silence in Pallet Town.

"What do you _mean_ he's not here?! Where _is_ he?!" a new, masculine voice roared, having been discovered from the entrance to Oak's lab up the stairs. Gary and the others spotted a tall figure from their distance standing outside the door with arms folded while another person was seen dragging a third person outside. With a quick nod from the young Researcher, all four of them ran up to the laboratory as fast as they could to find out about the commotion. The intensity of the yelling by the doorway, with a little bit of mixed obscenities, caused a astonished red blush from Zoey, stifled laughter from Drew, a rough head shake from Gary, and a disgruntled sigh from Brock. The four of them quickly hopped up the stairs, discovering the three new people standing by the laboratory entrance doorway; the tall man with the cape was holding back a furious, lavender-haired man with glasses and a maroon suit while the sole blond female wearing black clothing sighed in disapproval.

"Really, Lance, there isn't another way to hold him back?" the blond with the black coat asked the cape-wearing man as he forcibly pulled their third member out the door through their interlocked arms. "I know how upset he sounds—."

"I sound _upset_?!" the lavender-haired man hissed, thrashing against the grip of his captor. "I'm _way_ beyond frustrated after knowing what _he_ did to _her_!"

"Lucian, please listen to me," the spiky-haired man restraining him began, "I understand that you're just looking out for your family, but now's not the time to—."

"I should have known three weeks prior, Lance," Lucian muttered, his tone calm yet fierce as his attempts at breaking out of the Dragon Master's grip lessoned. "He should have been taught a lesson then. I even personally warned him after our match months ago before he moved on to challenge Cynthia."

"'If you break Anabel's heart and make her suffer, then the hell you'll be damned into will be worse,'" Cynthia quoted softly in a whimper, as though it came from a book. Lucian calmed down, noting the Sinnoh Champion's reaction of his personal talk with the young man held in high regards before them back then. "As if the world already hasn't been damned enough…" The three elite Trainers looked upon the ground before them in melancholic grief, staring at the same spot from their formed circle.

"Hey!" Gary yelled, waving to them as he and the others neared the top of the stairs. Before long, the mood lifted and Cynthia became the first to greet them with a wave back. That was until Brock, who had sped up the stairs and went past Zoey, Drew, and Gary in a blur, caught her right hand and took her left hand by her side into his hands.

"Cynthia, my graceful, monochromatic beauty, it's been far too long since I've laid my eyes upon your calm, cool, and collected elegance," Brock purred in his romantic voice as the entire scene became lightheaded and confusing for the others to bear. Cynthia, however, merely looked at him with the same serene expression she gave others as though she was not affected by the Breeder's advances.

"Croa…!" Croagunk grumbled, pulling back his hand and was ready to induce a light Poison Jab into his Trainer's behind to make him stop. Cynthia noticed the Toxic Mouth Pokémon about to attack Brock and merely smiled.

"Hey, Croagunk! How's it going?" Cynthia asked, giggling momentarily. Croagunk froze in place with his Poison Jab held high in the air. For some reason, he found it futile to continue and powered down his hand; the glowing poison in his fingertips disappeared. He remained stationary and patient, the poison sacs in his cheeks inflated in their peculiar pattern every now and then.

"Croa… Croa… Croa…," Croagunk hummed, abruptly looking away from Cynthia and Brock.

"Hey! Cynthia! Lance! Lucian!" Gary called out as he, Drew, and Zoey made it up the stairs, slowly gasping for breath from the long, steep climb as they held onto each other for support. "We didn't expect _you guys_ to grace Grandpa's lab today or anytime soon. What's going on?" The three older Trainers exchanged glances with Cynthia agreeing to stand out and explain the situation.

"We were sent to investigate on behalf of the Elite Four of all the four main regions, to offer our services to Professor Oak to aid the progress against the wild Pokémon inflicted with the ShadowPokérus, seeing as everyone else is so impatient these days," Cynthia surmised, tapping her long fingers together in an attempt to remain calm amidst the chaos taking place elsewhere. "You should have seen Flint. He was raring to go with Sidney, Will, and Aaron, until Koga, Bruno, and Drake intervened and forced them to wait until we came back with a report. Anyway, we've learned many things about Ash's progress…, as well as his team's breakup." Another awkward silence had filled the air around them. Cynthia gulped inconspicuously, sensing the acute glare of Lucian's glasses pinpointed at the back of her head.

"And when Lucian heard about the breakup between Ash and his younger sister, along with losing contact with her, you can probably guess what happened next," Lance added, taking a precautionary step next to the scholarly Elite Four member. He looked through the stern glare of his purple-tinted glasses, intent on making sure he stayed in line. "You're not the only one upset by the news. For one thing, Ash lost the greatest thing that would ever happen to him, and love does not come around as often as it should. Besides that, it was necessary to keep Anabel safe." Lucian sneered at the last comment, shaking his head in bitter dissatisfaction as his long purple locks draped around his face.

"None of you understand Anabel as well as I do," Lucian muttered, turning away from his perplex, worried friends. "She's too kind and too fragile. She was often lonely, save it for her own Pokémon to keep her inner loneliness and sanity in check. But still, as any other human, she yearned to make friendships with her own kind and the Battle Frontier was a good start. But even with friends like Greta and Lucy, she was still the soft-spoken, quiet little girl she was when I left her to go on my journey." He paused, recalling the brief memories he shared with his younger sister whenever he returned to their home in Verdanturf Town. "You do _one_ thing to her and she falls to pieces. That's why I _let_ her win in our second informal battle." He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around and take a powerful slap from the Sinnoh Champion herself on the face. Lucian flinched slightly, attempting to maintain a stoic look in spite of the sharp pain of the red, hand-shaped mark on his left cheek. "I take it that words are not enough to explain your feelings?"

"How can you say that about your _own_ sister, Lucian?!" Cynthia scolded, reeling her hand back as she panted from the exertion of the force of her slap. Lance quickly went to her side, gingerly restraining her arms to prevent another radical incident in front of Professor Oak's laboratory and to set a proper example for the younger generation before them. Gary, Brock, and the others stayed at the side, knowing when they should and should not get involved in matters that do not concern them. "Anabel's grown into a strong, independent young woman! She's not as frail as you think she is; even _you've_ shown confidence and pride when it came to her budding progress as a Trainer. She had a lot of potential _long_ before she gained feelings for Ash." Lucian looked at her with a solemn glint from his glasses and lowered his head. Cynthia remained impassive, but showed signs of softening up for her colleague and friend when tensions nearly reached their peak.

"Hmm, maybe my first choice of words were not the best ones, but now I know what I must say to each of you, to those who wish to bear witness of my true opinions of Anabel," Lucian said; a brisk wind passed them by upon the somber moment. Zoey shivered from the touch of the cold breeze, only for Drew to step in and warm her in his embrace. The redheaded Coordinator nodded in gratitude and placed a kiss on his cheek; it was _her_ way of warming the green-haired Coordinator against the sudden cold. "I never said that my sister was weak, far from it. Perhaps I _did_ see her strengths as weaknesses, but that's what made her who she is now, and it was far different from my own ideals of becoming stronger. As her brother, I only sought to make sure she was safe and loved; something I couldn't do appropriately when she was younger. But now that she has friends like all of you, you all should know that I'm proud of who Anabel is…" A small smile curled around the corners of Lucian's tight lips. "And I'm proud of being her older brother. I don't like it when she's upset because I become upset as well." The expression of Lucian's face began to grimace, startling the others of information he would soon reveal. "With her recent breakup with the guy she loved more than her own life, there's no telling what kind of effects it would have on her, psychological or otherwise. I mean, just think about it: a young, sweet woman like Anabel having to go through a terrible heartbreak because of a guy who's still doesn't see the full consequences of his actions? I'd sooner jump off the tallest summit of Mt. Coronet than see _that_ happen!"

The sudden vehemence in his tone scared the others, but it was not intimidating enough to get them to budge their feet of the ground. Rather, they were all planted firmly into the ground. Instead of running away, they have all taken a stand to listen to Lucian's testimony of the integrity over his own sister. Their friendship and trust within one another withstood the harsh, unsettling truths thrown at them and together, they resolved to not only save the world from the oncoming darkness, but to ensure that no one would be seriously hurt in any way, shape, or form. Gary broke the silence, walking forth and passing through the taller, elite Trainers standing in front of the doorway to his grandfather's laboratory. Brock, Drew, and Zoey were prompted to follow wordlessly, receiving silent, but acknowledging nods from the three Elite Four members.

"Thanks for the words," Zoey mouthed noiselessly to Lucian as she clung onto Drew's arm. Lucian said nothing, but gave her a smile for being another close friend to his little sister. The door promptly closed in front of the three powerful Trainers; their work here was done for now.

"Hmm, so does anyone here want to recap Professor Oak and Simba's words?" Lance proposed in order to mobilize them into action.

"It's _NAMBA_!" Namba's grating voice shouted from within the laboratory; Lance and the others immediately cringed and briefly covered their ears from the startling bellow. The Dragon Master's timing was either impeccable when the younger group that had entered mispronounced his name or Namba somehow knew.

"Okay…"

"Well, seeing as Ash won't make much of a progress without his friends in the Orre region, we just have to take matters into the hands of the Elite Four," Cynthia deduced, lightly pounding a fist into the open palm of her other hand, only to let out a sigh. "I didn't think it would come to this, gentlemen."

"Indeed, it has been an honor working alongside you two, even though you're from a different region, Lance," Lucian added dismally.

"Yeah, but one common goal has brought _all_ of us together," Lance replied, looking up to the conflicted sky above Pallet Town. Dark clouds had begun to fight for dominance against the warm, hope-giving rays of the sun above. "Darkness has always been restless since the beginning of time, in many different shapes and forms. It will do _anything_ to tip the scale in its favor and win the balance of power against light. Even with the group of kids in Johto helped by the son of the late Team Rocket Leader, Kamon's strength is still not enough to fully turn the favor into our side. Though I've personally overseen his metamorphosis into a better Trainer, I've never seen Namba so unsure about Kamon's addition before…"

"But now, the darkness has taken form of our own Giratina from the Distortion World," Cynthia mentioned, clasping her hands together as though she was making a final prayer. "Poor, misunderstood soul…" Lance placed a hand on her arm, relieving her tightened muscles with his firm touch.

"It's not over yet," Lance reassured with a sort of calm authority in his tone, followed by a nod from Lucian. "Not by a long shot…" Ideas were formulating within his brilliant head. He was sure to find a solution to slow down the progress of evil if it was not enough to stop it completely. He needed anything to give Ash a chance to save the heart of the corrupted creature, the ultimate weapon of Reverse-Cipher. _Giratina captured and forced against its will… Wait, that's it!_ Lance's eyes jolted open, staggering Cynthia as she was mere inches away from the Dragon Master. "Cynthia! Lucian!"

"What is it, Lance?" both Sinnoh Elite Four members queried urgently, leaning in towards him.

"Do you both recall over a year ago the momentous incident on top of Mt. Coronet, in Spear Pillar to be exact?" Lance asked, his tone deepening gravely. Both Cynthia and Lucian nodded conspicuously. "All three deities, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, were forcibly brought forth by Cyrus and Team Galactic, only to be challenged by Ash, Dawn, Brock, and even Paul. While Paul went to deal with the Galactic Leader himself, Ash and his friends made it appoint to calm down the Legendary Pokémon atop Spear Pillar. And then, _it_ happened…" Their acute minds immediately filled in the words from Lance's trailed-off explanation. There was only one point of significance that he needed to point out that would give them a chance to fight back.

"Okay then," Lucian mused, folding his arms across his chest. "So how are we going about this then?"

"The Pokémon G-Men have sent an agent, who's also part of the International Police, to investigate the Sinnoh region as he is the only one familiar with it," Lance explained. "He's also been sterilized so that he would not be an unwitting carrier of the ShadowPokérus to an immaculate land like Sinnoh or Hoenn. It's also going to be hard finding him because he's pretty good with disguises, but he only uses disguises when necessary."

"Meaning that we'll be able to spot him out of a crowd?" Cynthia jested in an attempt to lift the mood, even by a little. Lance cracked a small smile for her efforts, but Lucian remained stiff and rather indifferent.

"Yeah, but he should be writing his report the moment we take off from here," Lance said, taking out a Poké Ball from his belt from under his cape.

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner I get to wring Ash's thick neck for taking sweet Anabel for granted," Lucian stated curtly, spinning a miniature Poké Ball on his fingertips.

Cynthia exhaled softly as she took out Togekiss' Poké Ball, wondering if her Sinnoh Elite Four colleague would be in better spirits by the time they returned to Sinnoh. All three Elite Four members released their Pokémon in bright white flashes: Togekiss for Cynthia, Dragonite for Lance, and Xatu for Lucian. All three mounted upon their respective Pokémon and took off into the skies in a flash, without even leaving a trace of their existence behind in the empty Town of Pallet. The plan was set in motion as fate had begun to lend a helping hand in the form of many that sought peace over shadows.

* * *

"I'm finally here," Ash announced, entering the decrepit building and the main office of the shady Pyrite Town. The travel from the Outskirt Stand to Pyrite Town took over a week and he was rather impatient on finding one of his friends here, courtesy of Justy's sources. A person with purple-shaded hair wandered into a dangerous town without fair warning; he just hoped that either Paul or Anabel was strong enough to last against the shady denizens of Pyrite Town until he could find either one. Without warning, the young Aura Guardian with Pikachu on his shoulder had barged into the main office, acquiring several confused glances from the staff and the head honcho in charge. "Where?" He demanded to the big guy behind the desk, whose calm and uninterested demeanor only riled him up even more.

"I'm sorry, kid, but do you have a scheduled appointment with me?" the muscular, yet refined man joked, causing Ash to flick over the desk and feebly grab him by the shirt upon his chest.

"This isn't funny! Where's my _friend_?" Ash demanded again, though his rash anger was getting him absolutely nowhere. The young man standing next to the large leader attempted to force the Aura Guardian to release his boss, but the leader merely raised an arm to stop him.

"It's hard for me to say, much less help, since I don't know who the heck you are or who your friends are," the bodybuilder replied calmly, lightly brushing Ash's hold on his shirt while the latter reeled back from the compact swat with swaying hands. "Now then, tell me what you need to tell me."

"Duking, are you sure you trust him despite his previous attack on you?" his younger friend asked, mildly glaring at Ash for his attempted, albeit weak assault. "You're officially the mayor of Pyrite Town. You don't have to take crap from anyone, especially outside strangers like him."

"Silva, I understand your concerns, and he might not even be all that different from the wannabe criminals roaming around in this town," Duking began, leaning forward from his comfortable chair as he rested his elbows on the desk and folded his fingers on each hand together. "However, I've seen many wayward strangers that are stranger than this fellow before us. Let us hear his story before we decide to pass judgment." With a brief nod, Duking allowed the rather patient Aura Guardian to speak his reasons for barging into the office, sitting back up on his chair with his back straight as proper etiquette dictated.

"I'm really sorry for barging in on you like that… Mr. Duking, is it?" Ash inquired, to which he received a confirming nod from the daunting, yet fair man. "My name is Ash from Pallet Town of the Kanto region, and I've heard from some sources that a purple-haired individual had somehow wandered here into this dangerous town. I had a feeling that I might know the person, so I came to rescue the individual from the thugs and criminals lurking about in Pyrite Town."

"I see," Duking mumbled, clearing his throat gruffly before continuing. "I think I might know who you're referring to as this 'purple-haired individual' came in to Pyrite almost three weeks ago. Boy, I'll tell you, from watching the person just coming into town, the term 'lost soul' has received new meaning—."

"Duking!" Silva interrupted, his face was rather bright and livid from the mention of the memory. Duking frowned, sighing at the mistake.

"I'm sorry, Silva, but he did have a right to know what happen."

"How can you be sure that he's not going to lead you and all of us into a trap with all the information you're giving him?!"

"Like I said, I've seen many wayward travelers here, so I've come to recognize them and their intentions a mile away," Duking explained, glancing back at the confused Aura Guardian and his Pikachu. "This young man here is legit, a total honest man. Maybe he _can_ help out your new friend. We have to take chances here. If we hadn't, then Reverse-Cipher would have won already and Pyrite Town would have been even more of a lawless community than it was before. It was only then that I had to force myself to take charge and law down the law for these rambunctious youngins' roaming about."

"But Duking—!" Silva pleaded, only to be halted by the gesture of Duking's large, gruff palm facing him. His best friend never once laid a hand on him, but Silva understood his wishes and needed to learn to respect his authority. Duking had always been a just man, even with his intimidating appearance as a muscular, powerful bodybuilder. The guy was nearly a perfect balance of brawn and brains, though he still had a lot more left to learn about politics. If he knew a lot more about propositions and other political terms, Duking would have been mayor of a successful Pyrite Town, flourishing not through thievery and larceny.

"Not another word, Silva," Duking advised, lowering his hand and went back to face Ash. "Please forgive the behavior of my younger ward. He's been perturbed about the drastic change of his newest friend ever since she got here over three weeks ago. He was even against allowing her to battle in the Pyrite Colosseum, and he regretted allowing her through ever since."

"I see," Ash mumbled sympathetically, sending a slight nod to Duking's right-hand man. Silva grunted in acknowledgment before resuming a rather rigid position next to his boss' seat. Seeing as the mood had calmed down a little bit, a certain thought about what Duking had said previously stuck out in Ash's mind for some reason. "Duking, what did you mean by 'Pyrite Colosseum'? Is it some sort of Colosseum, the main form of competition here in the Orre region?" The bulky leader gave off a hearty chuckle before bolting right out of his seat and placing his large hands upon Ash's shoulders.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelped, leaping off the shoulder quickly to avoid being trapped and landed on the desk. "Pi…?" By the twitch of his ears and round eyes, the Mouse Pokémon's inner senses picked up another presence hiding nearby within the building; it strangely felt familiar while at the same time, it felt unfamiliar and rather distant. "Pi-ka-chu…?"

"Oh, Ash, you don't know how good it does me to know that Trainers from afar become interested at our little old Pyrite Colosseum!" Duking chuckled heftily, inadvertently slapping his hands upon Ash's shoulders, causing the wavering Aura Guardian to lose his grip on consciousness rather quickly from each pound. "Unfortunately, the Pyrite Colosseum is no longer under my power, so you'll have to talk to Silva for more information. But still…" Duking's jolly façade had dropped into a stern one, sending shivers down Ash's and Pikachu's spines from his piercing glare. "It'd best be weary when amongst the ruffians in Pyrite Colosseum, the underworld of Orre's colosseums. Innocent souls go in, hardened hearts come out. Beware…"

"I would take his words to heart, if I were you," Silva added, stepping forward and next to Ash and his large friend. "Since Duking is now officially in charge of Pyrite Town to keep our rowdy citizens in line and sets up Poké Spots all around Orre in his spare time, I've been put in charge of the Colosseum in order to keep them entertained and _not_ have them think about committing various crimes. Just because our fate is now in the hands of Reverse-Cipher doesn't mean that we all should become criminals like them…" The young man trailed off, his face wincing from emotional pain that seemed to be welling back up from his memories. "Hey, Ash?"

"What is it, Silva?" Ash responded, having gained a new sense of respect for the initially skeptical young man.

"If you can do me this one request, Ash, please help my new friend recover from her complete change and help her find her way back into the light," Silva requested, earnestly bowing his head before the perplexed Aura Guardian and his Pikachu. Duking smiled inwardly, attempting to stifle a rough chuckle. "Compete in the Pyrite Colosseum and defeat the Champion to bring her back into her senses. After that, I promise you that Duking and I will help find _your_ friend, the individual with the purple-shaded hair."

"It's a deal," Ash accepted without hesitation, giving Silva a determined thumbs-up gesture. The gesture turned into a mutual agreement where both young men shook hands and their deal was set nonetheless. "So, who's this Champion I've got to beat in order for you guys to help me search for my friend?"

Ash heard both Silva and Duking sigh, knowing that not giving their curious stranger a proper introduction would result in a fate worse than death. They knew that _she_ was nearby; even the Pikachu standing on the desk was aware of the extra presence, though he did not know whether to regard it as a real threat. The bookcase on the far corner of Duking's office began to slightly rumble, as though it was coming to life. Instead, it was being moved aside by some sort of hidden machinations left behind by an old organization called the Kids Grid. The supposed Champion of the Pyrite Colosseum was discovered coming out of the backroom hidden behind the bookcase. The whole office was left speechless, waiting for _her_ to emerge from the shadows of the hidden corridor. Ash stood firmly with Pikachu reclaiming his spot on his shoulder, eager to fight back for the sake of good, whatever the face of evil took on…

* * *

No one suspected of ever coming here. This place was thought to be an illusion due to its difficulty of searching for it. The secret fourth lake of Sinnoh, otherwise known as the Sendoff Spring; it was foreboding while unwanted at the same time. It was said to be a portal for the beast Giratina to come out of whenever it wanted to as it was rumored to be the space where dimensions were distorted. The mortal world and the world beyond was where they came together, where the line between them was at its weakest. At this point in time, all had begun to fear that merely mentioning the Sendoff Spring and the cave within would be a death wish. Reverse-Cipher's Shadow Giratina had been completely unpredictable as of late, but so far, all of its attacks were across the Orre region. On a side note, both the Sinnoh and the Hoenn regions were still safe and protected from the ShadowPokérus. So the only thing the natives had to worry about was keeping their distance from the forbidden fourth lake. It was one of the reasons why it chose to stay here; no one would try to come looking for it.

That was what the creature originally thought…

Not too long ago, a human came by investigating the Sendoff Spring. He looked like a simple man with short black hair slicked to the right while he wore a large, beige trench coat with a suit underneath. One of his peculiar habits that the creature carefully noted was that he would often place a hand underneath his chin, as though he was in deep thought. The creature, ever swift, omnipotent, and hidden, hovered about without the human detective on the surface ever finding about its powerful presence. However, the man was easily dealt with through its psychic powers. The creature saw some usefulness within the man and his persistent investigation. It never thought that it would have to resort to doing this, but if it were to lend a hand out to its fellow Pokémon in need, the creature had to act and take over.

"_I now understand from reading your memories that you're a member of both the International Police and most recently, the Pokémon G-Men, is that correct?_" the mysterious creature inquired, its personage obscured by the large brown cloak covering its body.

"Yes, that is what I am, Master," the man replied, his tone lifeless and monotonous. He looked up to his new master with dilated, pale brown eyes as he continued to kneel in respect. The psychic hold over him was strong, but the creature resented lowering itself to do such an act. However, it could not be seen in public and its message had to be delivered. "My code name… it is Looker. That is… what they all call me, Master."

"_Alright then, Looker,_" the creature began, its telepathic tone dark, yet soft. "_You were foolish to investigate in a place such as this, but now I understand that it's for a good cause. However, now that you stumbled upon my little secret, I must request one favor from you._"

"What is it… the request that you wish for, Master?" Looker asked, blankly looking up to his master.

"_For months now, I've been keeping tabs on a certain man, a man that I greatly despise for the purpose he had in mind upon my creation in his scientists' vile laboratory,_" it explained, its power slowly flaring in vehemence as its brown cloak blew upward. His identity was revealed before Looker from the tense display of power and anger, but the agent was completely under his control. He would have no recollection of their meeting; his only purpose was to serve as his puppet for the time being. "_I am Mewtwo, a living being equal to all…_"

"This man that you hate, do you want me to eliminate, Master Mewtwo?" Looker queried, assuming that was what his master wanted. Mewtwo shook his head, looking upon the hapless, brainwashed man with hardened eyes.

"_No, he's my personal business to deal with,_" Mewtwo stated, hovering several inches off the ground. The lake water rippled beneath him as he crossed over to Looker, intent on making his new mission as clear as possible. "_I have other situations that I need to tend to, such as the safety of my fellow Pokémon hidden in the Johto region. But unfortunately, due to circumstances that involved the man I greatly despise, I cannot go to Johto without risking exposure to his accursed virus._" He looked into the detective's blank stare, making sure that he still had some sentience left so that he could understand his words. "_As for you, Looker, I want you to find a certain young female and bring her to me._" The Genetic Pokémon placed a hand upon Looker's forehead, starting the process of imprinting the girl's image into his head. "_As of now, she is heading towards Sunyshore City, which is also where the man I greatly loathe is currently residing in._" The image of the girl he sought after was burned into his emptied mind; finding her was his ultimate directive. Looker had a good look of the young girl, whose physical traits of short, rough green hair and dark gold eyes stood out to him.

"Master, if I may ask without disrespect, why could you not find her yourself?" Looker inquired as Mewtwo lifted his hand away. The Genetic Pokémon closed his eyes in contemplation and exhaled deeply. His thick purple tail rested on the lake water behind him, touching the surface yet not getting wet at all.

"_Her fierce, stubborn will… It nearly resembles that to his, which is why my own powers can't seem to influence her and why I must personally meet her,_" Mewtwo explained, his resolve on playing his part hardening into his new strength. He closed his eyes before continuing, trying to come up with a proper explanation to the brainwashed International Police agent. "_Looker, I abhorred trying to control your mind, but I merely did it out of my own defense. So I will give you a chance, without my interference. Do you wish to continue your previous investigation of the Sendoff Spring or do you want to help my cause?_"

Looker said nothing, but continued to blankly stare at Mewtwo. He felt the Genetic Pokémon's mental hold weakening, giving him back his own free will. He could not decide where to start first. For some reason, he still had all of his memories, up to the point where Mewtwo revealed himself out of sudden anger. It made the International Police agent cringe upon facing that kind of power, but he was certain that he faced more dangerous situations than witnessing the power of one Pokémon. Nevertheless, he felt that if he did not agree into helping the strange psychic creature in his request for looking for a girl with tremendous spirit, his life would be in great danger. On the other hand, Mewtwo willingly offered him the ability to decide for himself. If the Psychic-type Pokémon needed his help, he would have already done so, which was very strange for Looker to comprehend indeed. He felt the desperate severity in Mewtwo's request, but he was given a chance to walk away. No one would ever show that kind of mercy in a situation like this, which only made the detective ultimately decide the fate of his little story within the grand tale of the universe.

"Mewtwo, with utmost humility and gratitude, I hereby accept the mission of yours…"

* * *

**I actually like where this is all turning out now. I managed to tie in several side stories now to the main, from the brief meeting between the Elite Four members and Looker's encounter with Mewtwo in Sendoff Spring. I wonder if any of you know the girl Mewtwo spoke of that he desires to meet…**

**As for one of Ash's former allies being in Pyrite Town, did any of you expect that twist? If not, I will elaborate later on. After all, I am the Twister of Plots, at least that's what I'm making myself known for. So now, do you all remember what I had said several chapters back that the exciting parts won't happen until later on in the story? Well, we're all reaching that point now. We're practically halfway the story now and I have more yet to reveal.**

**I wonder if any of you also experienced any difficulties with page formatting as of late. What I mean is, were the category tabs of Anime, Movie, etc. arranged as ordinary text in your computer monitors? Did the formatting of chapters change for you, as in all sentences and paragraphs being centered? Did you experience the page going up when you tried to review a chapter? No? Then you're very lucky not to have to suffer through that for the beginning of October. Just to reiterate, I had a bit of trouble, which was why I could not update as soon as I wanted to. Well, I guess I'll just get back to studying now…**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback on this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **


	30. Willpower

**I don't know how many of you have actually figured out the mystery of who Ash is looking for in Pyrite Town and who he would be facing, but you may or may not be in quite for a shock. On the same topic, not many of you know who the girl Mewtwo is after. I didn't think that I was capable of remaining mysterious; that or you may be playing a trick on me with your own ploys. Regardless, I will reveal the answers of Ash's current impasse in Pyrite Town at the end. First, I just want to elaborate more on Mewtwo's purpose in Sinnoh and the girl he sent Looker to… look for, in reasonable terms. And I avoided sickness!  
**

**So now, please enjoy…**

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* * *

**He ran down the open route to Sunyshore City as fast as he could. He was on his way to fulfill his newest directive, formulated out of a whim of a powerful, mysterious creature he had just met not too long ago. The tails of his dark beige trench coat floated horizontally as a result of his hasty speed down the road, running past the wild Pokémon in play and bystanders confused by his appearance and intentions upon first sight of him. There was no reason for him to stop, nor should have been a reason for him to continue running either. However, as of recent events during his latest visit of the Sinnoh region, he had to fully consider his remaining options before ultimately walking into his next fate. Officer Looker paid no heed to anyone else now that he made a deal in which his life might possibly in stake considering on who he had bartered with earlier. The world was conflicted enough, but he did not need the extra burdens.

_I was sent back here to the region of Sinnoh, to investigate a possible connection between the Sendoff Spring and Giratina,_ Looker thought, his hard expression remained impassive as he neared the populated City of Sunyshore. _But I never expected having to do a dangerous deed such as this…_

_You agreed to my terms through your own free will, Looker,_ Mewtwo's voice answered within the confines of the detective's mind. Looker grimaced from listening to the warning, telepathic voice of the Genetic Pokémon intrude into his personal thoughts. _I've opened myself up to you, and you understood my plight without hesitation. We are now connected through a powerful mental bond I created myself from the time we spent together. You now feel what I feel and vice versa. Your eyes are also my eyes. If you back down now, I will have no choice to wipe your mind of my existence in order to preserve myself, and I might erase more personal memories depending on your betrayal._

_You are sounding like I had a choice in investigating the Sendoff Spring, a mandatory mission that might save the rest of mankind once the mission is solved._

_You did have a choice, Looker,_ Mewtwo replied calmly, apparently unaffected by the detective's mental complaint. Looker gritted his teeth and stopped running, staying in a spot to catch his breath as he felt the Genetic Pokémon's psychic powers invading his personal psyche. _You chose to serve your species as now I'm serving mine. I need to become stronger the right way. I need to find the girl and examine her fierce will._

"Do I look like an abductor of little girls to you?!" Looker shouted inwardly, completely frustrated about the situation of him becoming an accomplice to a mysterious Pokémon while several onlookers walked past him by with repulsed expressions plastered on their faces. The International Police agent froze in place as he mentally cursed his unfortunate luck and inadvertent stand-off with a glum-faced creature with an attitude and unnatural psychic powers.

_I heard that,_ Mewtwo spoke in an even and somewhat sardonic tone.

_That's because I wanted you to know how I now truly felt about accepting this ridiculous mission of yours!_ Looker fumed, tightening every muscle in his body in anger against Mewtwo. He felt his body tighten even more, beyond his control. It became suffocating for the detective as his skin started to pale from the blocked flow of red blood and his face looked drained of both blood flow and oxygen."Wh… Wh-What i-i-is th-th-this-s-s…?"

_You should have thought this through before accepting it, human,_ Mewtwo warned, articulating his last word in disgust. _Your kind is so fickle; I still don't understand how I've come to spare you humans instead of allowing my clones to take over._

Looker struggled to speak under the psychic bind the Genetic Pokémon placed him in, as though there was a hand strangling him into an inch of his remaining life. It took nearly most of his own willpower to push back against Mewtwo's hold on his body, speaking out the one reason that convinced him to release his grudge on all humans and Pokémon. Looker took in as much oxygen as he could before continuing, salvaging as much of his remaining breath as possible until Mewtwo would decide to end his little charade and psychically implode his vulnerable, imperfect human body amidst the route to Sunyshore City. His lips slowly mouthed the first few words he was about to say without thinking; his deep voice was strained and strangled, able to sputter out the next words in an understandable, albeit garbled groan.

"It… is because… of _that boy_… helped you see… good… in humans…," Looker coughed out in several chokes, falling onto his knees. He felt the mental binds disappear from his body, free from the psychic vice. Looker was gasping for breath, clutching his chest to check if his heart was still beating and his lungs were still capable of taking in air. _I take it that you remembered the real reason you shared with me earlier?_

_I… I…_ Mewtwo began, but was unable to continue reasoning back. The foundation of his resolve was reminded through Looker's chokes. The detective himself felt a psychic surge of melancholy from the Genetic Pokémon, mostly likely for his own forgetful folly, if that was even possible in the first place. _If I could not remember such powerful motivation in the first place, then that only means that it is a sign that I've grown weaker. I'm losing my power to idle helplessness… _Looker suddenly began running again to Sunyshore City before Mewtwo continued his melancholic telepathic musing within his head. _What are you—?_

_Saving lives as I have been assigned to!_ Looker exclaimed, breathing steadily through his mouth to ensure enough oxygen as he sprinted for his life towards the solar-powered city of the Sinnoh region. The agent's mind became preoccupied with thoughts of commanding motivations to push him forward, not even paying mind to the dark, yet soft chuckling from Mewtwo's telepathic voice echoing quietly into nothing.

* * *

"Hurry up or else they'll sell out! We can't return home without _them_!" a girl shouted, rapidly jogging her feet in place as she waited for her Pokémon to catch up. An electrical blur came in its place, sprinting past her and sending her for quite a spin. The lingering static had also made her short green hair frizz out even more. "Shinx, slow down!" She demanded, mobilizing her legs back into action and caught up with her Pokémon.

"Shinx, Shinx Shinx!" Shinx yipped, having slowed down and dispelled the electricity from its Spark boost. "Shinx!" Its tomboyish Trainer caught up, panting heavily as she quickly fixed her short hair back into the way it was.

"Shinx, this is no time to be fooling around," the girl scolded, running alongside her Pokémon as they further traversed deep within the Sunyshore City bazaar. "We have to do this before the rush comes in." A crowd of people had scattered all around them with business of their own, visiting stands that sold fresh fruit, seals, and other colorful trinkets. The girl and her Shinx carefully wove through different people and Pokémon while maintaining their increasing hurried speed.

"Shinx Shinx!" Shinx exclaimed, using its nose to point ahead to the stand several meters in front of them. Past a few civilians that were walking about, as well as a strange trio of singers dressed as ordinary tourists, was where they needed to make their purchase.

"There it is! My parents are going to be so stoked!" the girl exclaimed, dashing ahead to the stand with the astonished Shinx trailing behind. "Hey, sir! Over here!" The owner of the mentioned stand looked up and smiled, seeing the familiar girl running toward him for the biyearly purchase of special supplies. His mustached face beamed at the familiar customer, having quite a strong relationship with her family long before. It was simply family business that made them good friends.

"Ah, Angie! That time of year again?" the man jested lightheartedly as the girl reached his stand and paused to catch her breath. He glimpsed at her closely and chuckled. "My, you've grown into such a fine young woman. Have your parents decided on a suitable partner for you yet?" Angie blushed involuntarily from the inquiring comment, but brushed it aside with a forced laugh.

"Yeah, you know them pretty well," Angie replied as nonchalantly as possibly, inwardly cursing at her own parent's investigation into her private, personal life as well as the stand owner's careless joviality. _And they are so going to get an earful from me when I get back!_ She glanced at Shinx, who had a worried look glimmering in its eyes. Angie got the hint as they both went through this little situation before, giving a smile to assure Shinx that she was okay. _My parents should just give up already. The man I wanted is already with someone else. That Salon Maiden is truly a lucky one._ She knew of it from the public news since before the return of Cipher and the emergence of XD00∞, the ultimate Shadow Giratina. Her mind felt conflicted enough from the soon-to-be worldwide darkness, but there was a time and place for her to feel sorry for herself for letting _him_ get away; now was not the time.

"Oh, yes! Before I forget!" the owner bellowed suddenly, crouching underneath the stand in search for something. A clattering of sounds and a mix of his jubilant humming were heard coming from his stand as Angie and Shinx briefly exchanged glances. "A-ha! Gotcha!" He reemerged over the counter with a sealed package, containing the supplies that Angie needed to bring back to the Daycare. "Give my regards to your parents for their loyal patronage, Angie. I'll be sure to promote the Solaceon Daycare to every Trainer I encounter. "

"Thank you so much, sir!" Angie exclaimed, gingerly taking the package into her own hands and cradling it close to her chest. "Yes! We got the package, Shinx!" She held the package high above her head, to which Shinx yipped delightfully. Following with a polite bow from both her and the Flash Pokémon, the two of them gave their goodbyes to the Sunyshore importer.

Unbeknownst to Angie and Shinx as they made their way through the Sunyshore bazaar's crowd, three hidden figures had observed the duo's every move and action out of insidious curiosity from the shadows of the stands. The strange package seemed to have captured their attention, seeing something of value within the sealed box. With a quick squabble concerned the one they termed as "the Daycare twerp" and exaggerated acts of conflicting physical violence, the members of the hidden trio fled their spot and trailed after the package Angie held close. The trio leapt from hidden corner to hidden corner of every stand, still dressed up as tourists to blend in perfectly as they followed their target carefully navigating through the small crowd within the bazaar. They were slowly closing the distance between her and them, only to be abruptly interrupted by crashing into a man upon their latest leap, causing the four of them to stumble about.

"Hey! Ever heard of stepping aside?!" the crimson-haired female complained rashly, tending to her trademark long hair in order to make sure that there was no strand out of place.

"How rude!" the blue-haired partner grumbled, rubbing his aching head from the collision. The third member between the two humans, a strange and short being with whiskers and a gold coin charm on his forehead also disguised as a tourist with a rather sarcastic look on his face, stood up on his hind legs and extended his claws threateningly to the man all three collided into.

"Cross in da green, not in ba'tween!" the third tourist growled, only to step back in astonishment as the strange man stood back up with a rather stern expression carved on his face. The man brushed off dirt and dust from the collision from his brown coat, gazing upon the suddenly frightened trio with dissatisfaction.

"You three made me lose my target," he scolded in a low voice; his being empowered by an outside force unknown to the three strange tourists. His eyes were boring into them, as if they were looking deeply into the souls of the three buffoons. The trio was wondering what he was thinking about, greatly stressing over the fact that he might do something drastic for their interference.

_Looker, I recognize these three idiots as members of the destroyed organization that once belonged to the man I greatly loath,_ a dark, telepathic voice within Looker's consciousness pointed out, his tone wary and angered. _They're of the late Team Rocket._

_Should I deal with them, considering your past with them?_ Looker asked, keeping his glare focused upon the huddled, cowering Rocket trio. _You told me that they were responsible for your misery… and creation…_ A small crowd gathered into a circle around the four of them; curiosity got the better of them as news of the commotion slowly spread around the bazaar. However, before the agent could even lift a finger against them, another man cloaked in a black trench coat and black hat emerged into the circle. His presence triggered a sort of burning feeling within Looker's mind as it forced his eyes to jolt wide from his sudden appearance.

"That's enough, you fools!" the old man shouted, stepping in front of Looker while slightly glaring back to the trio behind him. Looker stepped back and grunted; the man's facial image looked familiar, which greatly irritated him for some reason. More likely, something inside of him was irritated by the stranger's sudden appearance.

"It's the Boss!" the trio cried in joy with their arms thrown up in surrender, only to freeze ineptly upon the piercing gaze from their beloved Boss looking back at them. Their Boss growled through his tightly gritted teeth, furious at the trouble they have caused yet again.

_I know that I should have been used to this by now, but they have to realize the painful reality of it all,_ he thought, taking a deep breath before sighing and looking away in a somewhat remorseful fashion. The trio was confused, tilting their heads while inquiring what was wrong with their Boss. "I'm not your 'Boss' anymore, get it?"

"What do you mean, Master Giovanni?!"

"Team Rocket's gone! Finished off the very moment my old identity was proclaimed dead to the world eight months ago!" Giovanni roared, his patience ultimately wearing thin from their extreme, obsessive persistence that Team Rocket was not dead as long as they still survived. The looks from the crowd were startling. Looker merely glanced at the group's direction; his stare was blank, looking at nothing in reality.

_Mewtwo, is this really the man you hate so much?_ Looker asked in his mind, knowing that the Genetic Pokémon would have listened to their telepathic link. _He seems to have changed since he has renounced and forsaken his organization._

_I'm not easily convinced after all the damage and pain he has done to me in the past,_ Mewtwo replied, his austere voice echoing in the International Police agent's mind. The volume of his response made Looker's physical body flinch from the power exuded from his tone. _He claims to have learned from his mistakes from making a deal with those Cipher fools, but how much has he repented? Has he even truly repented after witnessing an evil that exceeded his own greedy ambitions? His progress as a human had always concerned me, even after I erased the memories of my existence from his and his organization's minds._

_So does this mean that you recognize him as a threat to you?_

_No human or Pokémon can ever hope to overpower me. Only the brave and true could dream to stand their ground against me in a battle._

_So then, why are you still keeping an eye out for him if he is not to be considered a threat to you?_ Looker asked. The corridors of his mind became silent, but he still felt Mewtwo's mental presence lingering about. Though he felt no trace of the Genetic Pokémon's emotions, Looker knew of the inner conflict that Mewtwo was currently battling. Slow, heavy growls resonated in his mind, ringing in his ears as though he was standing right next to the International Police agent, losing his breath to fatigue. They slowly increased in tempo and volume, as though Mewtwo would lose control of his immense power. Looker became worried, carefully moving one foot back and away from the former Team Rocket boss and trio. He felt the pace of his heart increase, in tune to Mewtwo's mental conflict over Giovanni. Looker continued to slowly move back and away from the group and gathering crowd around them, but nearly tripped on a small rock placed behind where his left heel stepped upon. The sudden momentous jerk triggered the instability.

_Enough!_ Mewtwo roared, boggling Looker's mind with his fury. The agent covered his ears; he grimaced as though his entire head was about to explode, unable to contain the Genetic Pokémon's wrath. His eyes shot open forcibly, gleaming a light of strange power from his pupils. Coincidentally, Giovanni soon found himself sent onto the ground in pain by an unseen force that seemed to have been directed from Looker's direction.

"What… W-What is this?!" Giovanni hissed, discovering that the motor functions of his body were paralyzed stiff as he was on his knees by the unknown power. Quickly calculating his own trajectory from where he was originally standing to the direction he was thrown, he robotically turned his head to discover Looker glaring at him with glowing eyes. "What the… _hell_ are you… doing to me?!"

"It's… not me…," Looker coughed, having also discovered that he was bound by the psychic force that froze Giovanni nearly into submission. The agent immediately deduced that Mewtwo was using him as a relay of his Psychic attack upon the former Team Rocket boss; he began attempting to reestablish a mental connection with the Genetic Pokémon. _M-Mewtwo! What are you d-d-doing?_

_Doing what I should have done months ago!_ Mewtwo yelled, his severity causing both Looker and Giovanni to tremble under his terrible psychic power. His pent hatred for the former Team Rocket boss overcame his own logical judgment upon confronting him through his new pawn's eyes.

_I-It won't make you any more different than he is! Listen to your own r-reasoning!_ Looker pleaded with all his might, in hopes that Mewtwo would halt his attack and both humans survived the ordeal. _You have a heart l-like any other living cr-creature. D-Don't lower yourself t-to his level… Mewtwo!_ A few agonizing seconds later, Looker felt his body drop like a lead weight, but not before catching himself by placing his hands. He felt his inner strength fade, having used it all to reason out to Mewtwo. His vision blurred and blackened. Giovanni fell from the draining tribulation as well, causing his loyal trio of ignorant fools to crowd around him, demanding others around them to help.

The crowd of Sunyshore citizens and tourists murmured wildly from the strange spectacle of the detective assaulting an old man with strange powers. Among the panicking crowd of people, Angie attempted to squeeze through as the sight was all over now. She and Shinx weaved their way through the large mass of people, making their way to the exit of Sunyshore City and on their way back home all the way in Solaceon Town. The Flash Pokémon felt rather restless, having sensed something beyond what the ordinary eye could have perceived. It felt the telepathic presence of a great power within the man with the beige trench coat as the very thing that attempted to claim the life of the other man whom the three strange tourists seemed very fond of.

"Shake it off, Shinx!" Angie exclaimed optimistically, pumping an eager fist to her chest as they neared the Sunyshore City limits. "At least we know who to _not_ run into in a dark alley or forest." Shinx looked down and sighed, wishing that the circumstance was only left at that moment.

* * *

He sat alone in the dark of night upon a lone grass inclination, gazing at the stars as the only source for light and comfort in his anguished life. He could not help but feel lament for what could have been with the only family relative he ever lived with before his announced death beyond his ability. He gingerly grasped the black PokéGear with red Poké Ball halves design and outlines in his right hand; it was the first gift _he_ ever gave to him before their falling-out. Since that terrible event, he rarely used his PokéGear as he fought through life with cold bitterness and fierce seclusion from the rest of humanity. This was before he was rescued from the darkness, before he realized what true power felt like from the strongest Trainers. But ever since he learned of _his_ death, he felt conflicted and pained once again, attempting to bury the past once and for all with the same resentment many have thought that he had discarded, allowing him a clean soul slate of silver.

He looked upon the rarely touched PokéGear in contemplation. He still could not believe that everything had happened so fast. He toyed with the device with his fingers like a child to a toy, much like his father to his team of loyal, incompetent soldiers. The cold air attacking his hands was numbing, yet he was no stranger to excruciating, relentless pain. Others would have been driven to the brink of madness from such torture, yet managed to remain sane after over six years since his falling-out with his father. No one could ever possibly hope to sympathize with him; he fought for himself as he always did, but with a renewed sense of respect and secret compassion.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" a concerned female voice asked from behind the young man. "It's warm by the campfire and warmer with all your friends." He heard her footsteps approach upon the grass hill behind him and softly exhaled.

"That's none of your business, May," he replied curtly, refusing to look back at her.

"Well! Excuse me for actually being the only one from our group to show concern for you, Kamon!" May huffed from his abrupt response, pouting while expecting him to turn around and feel remorseful for offending her. He remained stationary.

"I'd say it's a step up from that Barry kid," Kamon said simply, slightly glancing in May's direction to show that he did acknowledge her. May merely rolled her eyes in irritation.

"Oh, please! You think that we're _all_ annoying!" May retorted. "We're on our way to Olivine City and your attitude towards the majority of us has_… not… improved… one… bit…_ _Mister_!" Kamon scoffed, standing up on the grass hill with his back still turned towards the Coordinator with the green bandanna.

"Someone needs to be sane enough to direct you all to your destinations," Kamon replied, subtly smirking at May's futile attempt of preventing herself from strangling the redhead into submission.

"Ugh! Why _do_ you even stay with us at all?!" May shouted to the night sky, turning away and leaving a stunned Kamon in her wake. The Coordinator did have a point, though, from her failed attempt to bond with the rather estranged Trainer.

_Yeah… why do I stay with them at all…?_

_

* * *

_The bookcase in Duking's office had completed its task on moving to the side, completely uncovering the hidden passageway into the backroom. An enigmatic figure, with a cold, royal air, stepped out of the darkness as the dim lighting of the office illuminated her silhouette and revealed her identity before them as the current reigning Champion of the Pyrite Colosseum.

_So this is who I have to face in the finals,_ Ash thought; his expressive features were still frozen upon witnessing the sight of the Pyrite Champion unveiling herself before them.

The young Aura Guardian of the Kanto region could not believe who he saw, hence his widened brown eyes and gaping mouth at the timed moment. Pikachu had shared his reaction as the young woman that was behind the mobile bookcase merely stared back at him with cold, lifeless indifference. She looked all too familiar, yet she was a stranger to them at the same time. She wore a lavender blouse with a maroon leather vest onto top of her slender, blooming form and a skirt that barely made it past her thighs, but her knee-length burgundy leather boots made up for covering her pastel skin. The sharp heels of her boots nearly boosted her up to Ash's five foot, seven inch height, if not more. There was a holster on her waist with something coiled up hanging on her side. Her thin figure, her short height, her short lilac-colored hair, and her other physical features nearly resembled another, yet her paled lavender eyes, as well as the blood red cat's-eye mask on her face, contradicted Ash's mental predictions regarding the identity of this mysterious new woman that was said to be Silva's new friend from three weeks prior. The looks she gave the young Aura Guardian were empty, hollow, cold, lifeless, and just plain unpleasant. It was apparent that she did not know who her newest opponent for the Pyrite Colosseum was, but she looked pretty anxious upon first sight of the perplexed young man with the Pikachu. She did one thing that greatly perturbed both Duking and Silva ever since she rose the ranks and officially became the dominating Pyrite Colosseum Mistress, she smirked a wicked smirk of lustful passion; this was beyond her usual façade of indifferent heartlessness and lack of compassion.

"M-M-Mistress D'ana…! You're here!" Duking exclaimed shakily, reflexively hiding his lower half underneath his desk. Silva stood in the same spot, unable to comprehend the change of the girl he had met not too long ago.

_It's like she has a different personality now, taking complete and utter control over her body with every passing second,_ Silva thought, gritting his teeth to prevent unspoken words from inciting the situation even more. He turned to Ash, who merely looked back at him with an inquiring look about the identity of the new girl that entered Duking's office. "Ash, t-this is the Champion Duking and I warned you a-about." He felt her cold glare searing through the side of his head, as though she was able to look into his soul. _How could she have changed so much in this short time…?_ Silva took a deep breath, regaining a stable composure. Fortunately for him, the Champion shifted her gaze back onto the young Aura Guardian and smirked again. "T-T-This is the Pyrite Mistress, D'ana, as she demanded to be called… Uh, yeah…" He trailed off and looked down onto the ground, unnerved by his mistake for allowing this to happen.

"Mistress… D'ana?" Ash repeated slowly, noticing a subtle reaction from the curling corner of the woman's lips. Pikachu looked worried, slinking back on Ash's shoulder slowly while hoping that the worst had not come.

_You're mine, little man, _D'ana thought as she continued to glare upon the now worried Ash with a hazy, aberrant glint.

* * *

**So I'm hoping now that you all have caught on to the current plot. Ash's destined opponent has been revealed once he manages to reach the finals of the Pyrite Colosseum Tournament while Mewtwo has sent Looker to trail Angie in order to confront her. If you all remember the first poll I made when this story was at its earliest stage, then you should probably remember the reason why I included these characters in the first place. Out of curiosity, I wanted to know which of the following characters did you want to see the most, the list being made of Angie, Wes and/or Rui, Kamon/Silver, Looker, Miror B., Barry, and so forth. Last I checked, both choices of Angie and Wes and/or Rui were tied for the highest results and I did promise to include all aforementioned characters.**

**Another reason why I wanted to include Angie to the story was that to me, she was almost like the female version of Ash, in her own way. Both share similar personality quirks of sleeping and eating and I'm also an occasional MorpheusShipper, especially after watching the final two episodes of the Summer Academy arc. I guess I should say that there was a bit of one-sided MorpheusShipping here, just to add some variety to my story and all, but we all know what pairings I have in store by now. I also figured that I could use the similarities to my advantage, especially her strong will, which Mewtwo greatly respects as it is "similar" to Ash's. And yes, Mewtwo is still keeping tabs on Giovanni despite his change from losing everything to Cipher; for another piece of trivia, Giovanni is also wearing his attire from Heart Gold/Soul Silver if you did bother trying to learn about his and Silver's past from the hidden event from Japanese versions.**

**One last thing; did you foresee Ash'****s twist? What has happened was meant to happen, and you will see firsthand that this story is not over yet. **

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	31. Condescension

**With the spare time I have lately, I figured that I might as well make some use of it. My progress in college as a freshman so far is adequate, but it's not reaching up to my standards. That or my standards have been ridiculously too high, but anyway… I might have been slacking off a bit, but I know when I must take myself up a notch. I've got exams to study for, but even I needed a break every now and then. I definitely need a nap or possibly another date… Meh…**

**So like I said before, I have everything planned, including that little discovery twist in Duking's office and the additions of Looker, Mewtwo, and Angie. But then again, I'm always open to possible suggestions, so feel free to send any. It shows that you truly appreciate the story and desire to see it to become the best it can be as much as I do. **

**So now, please enjoy…**

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**The entire room had fallen into an abrupt silence. Glances were exchanged across the front desk to the shifted bookshelf on the side. The last one to arrive gave all three men a frigid glare; her pupils were blank and hollow. Ash remained completely still, yet was mildly perplexed over the identity of the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress behind that blood red mask of hers. She seemed familiar to him through several parts of her outer looks, but unfamiliar due to her cold attitude towards him. Though the two of them seemed to have just met, they have already become enemies prior to the Pyrite Colosseum Challenge Silva offered a minute ago. The hulking mayor of Pyrite merely sat in his chair, carefully observing the silent, yet palpable interaction between the younger Trainers within the room like a statue. The same could not be said for his younger friend as Silva attempted to hide his trembling, unable to look at the young woman he once considered a friend from a faraway land.

_I hope she didn't overhear everything we told Ash,_ Silva thought, clenching his teeth tight to prevent any secret from slipping out of his mouth. Pyrite Mistress D'ana glanced at him with an unreadable look, to which he quickly averted his eyes away to avoid eye contact. She smirked.

"What's wrong, Silva?" D'ana asked in a false-honeyed tone, her smirk growing as she continued to watch him squirm under her cold gaze. "Are you already tired of having I as the Champion of your 'precious Colosseum,' huh?"

"I… uh… I'm just d-doing my job and allowing c-c-competitors register for the next Pyrite Tournament," Silver replied, failing to control his unpredictable stutters upon her callous sight. He knew that she was never like this when he found her outside of Pyrite Town weeks ago. He blamed himself for allowing the rough games of the Pyrite Colosseum to corrupt her. No longer was he able to face his mistake of leading someone further astray into the path of darkness; Silva was too ashamed to even try to continue the Pyrite Colosseum, and even she knew it.

"Hey! Is that how you treat old friends?" Ash spoke up suddenly, redirecting the rather sadistic intent upon himself and away from the shaky Silva. D'ana gazed upon him; her eyes lowering and a poisoned smile curling her rather delicate lips.

"Oh, trust me, little man, you _don't_ want to know how I treat strangers," D'ana purred, slowly walking towards the Aura Guardian while emphasizing her seductive movement with big sways of her slim hips.

Ash remained steadfast, rooted to the floor as the adversary slithered closer and closer to him. His harsh training with Riley months ago not only improved his and his Pokémon's strength, but had granted him a stronger, matured, and still rather rash mindset. His time with Anabel, before sparing her from Reverse-Cipher's wrath, had also made him remain stubbornly faithful to his goal. It was not easy, but then again everything he had worked for in life never was easy. All of his strength, power, and courage were now being tested against a seductress who now had a thing for him; strangely, the act nearly reminded him of _her_, but _she_ would never have been this open and abrasive. He refused to believe it and instead merely focused on the problem at hand: saving Silva's new friend from the darkness of Pyrite Colosseum.

"You can't break me, if that's what you're thinking," Ash retorted calmly as D'ana began to take circle him like a Persian to its rodent prey around him, her licentious expression ever the same.

"How would you know what I'm thinking, you _naughty_ little man?" D'ana asked, pretending to stifle a wicked giggle while maintaining a cold, distant look. "You don't even know me, which will be very detrimental to you once we finally meet in the ring."

"I don't care if show me your entire Pokémon rack; I'm still going to bring you back to your senses!" Ash declared with a pointing finger directed upon her, much to her bitter amusement. "I just met Silva today, but I already promised to rescue his friend from herself. I might not know the true terror of Pyrite Colosseum, seeing as it had changed you, but I _will _rescue you for him!" D'ana merely smirked before falling back into her usual heartless façade. While the bravado of the young Aura Guardian was amusing to listen to at first, his verbal declaration of supposedly rescuing her from her darkness was becoming quite irksome to listen to after a while.

"You know, you would be a lot more _desirable _if you didn't ramble so much on 'fighting a person's darkness' and all that crap," D'ana suggested, her tone sinfully alluring. With one last sly wink to the wary Aura Guardian, the Pyrite Mistress leisurely sauntered off to the office exit. The movements of her thin hips were made so that all male eyes saw her take her leave; what she did not know was that two young men had other thoughts concerning her once she left.

"Who in the world _is_ she?" Ash asked in an exasperated breath, turning his head around to see any rational responses from either Duking or Silva. The latter looked up to him in grief, shaking his head as he walked towards him. Duking, on the other hand, quickly brushed off the experience as he was no stranger to the dark behavior of the Pyrite Mistress and resumed his office work.

"Ash, I need to talk to you," Silva requested, pulling Ash close to him by his shoulders and earnestly looking at the young Aura Guardian straight in the eye for all seriousness, "now _and_ privately."

"Uh, okay, sure," Ash replied in a rather fatigued manner, still disoriented from meeting the Pyrite Mistress for the first time.

The young Aura Guardian felt inner conflicts of emotions and ideas concerning the young woman who seemed eager to battle him. There was something about her that made Ash feel weak in the stomach, as though regret had somehow caught up to him. He felt something from his past haunt him, but he did not want to be bothered by it now. He still needed to find out where his scattered allies were now. Either Anabel or Paul was reported to have been last seen in Pyrite Town, and he felt that he was closer to finding one of them sooner than he thought. Pikachu merely sat on his shoulder, concerned about how the whole thing would play out for him and his best friend. Unlike Ash, however, the Mouse Pokémon was more in tune to catch subtler hints than his maturing Trainer. He simply waited and hung onto Ash as he and Silva both left Duking's office with a quick wave of good-bye to the muscular man and went into another room down the hall, which was Silva's own personal office.

Since Duking's promotion into the legit mayor of Pyrite Town, the younger man was given the responsibility of running the Pyrite Colosseum as a way to keep the town of ruffians in order. Pokémon battling always brought everyone close and opened everyone's eyes to a universal scale; the method was just as effective on wayward, misunderstood delinquents. It became a huge responsibility for Silva, no doubt, but his new occupation had not greatly affected his personal life until now, when he lost a friend to the unrelenting vices of the carnal world. Ash and Silva went in the new room, turned on the light, and prepared for the deep conversation regarding their fates for the next few days.

"Here, take a seat," Silva offered, presenting a simple wooden chair next to his seat. Ash sat down without another word, waiting for Silva to take his seat as well and begin. "Now, let me ask you about the first thing that came to your mind upon first seeing D'ana, Ash."

"Right," Ash nodded, taking a deep breath and mentally looking back to the earlier confrontation upon the arrival of the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress. He thought about her strange style of clothes and her blunt mannerisms, which include her short frilly skirt, the tight red leather corset, insidious cat's-eye mask, and her dangerous demeanor shifts from an ice cold mountain to a ravenous predator waiting in the shadows. "So far, she's one of those girls Paul told me about that are only after you for a 'good time'… or something like that." Silva raised a brow, casting a slightly offended look at him before disapprovingly shaking his head. "What? I was told to avoid them, back when…" However, what caught Ash's attention the most about D'ana was her eyes; they looked apathetic and lifeless, yet hid a deep, unknown pain behind the dim lilac surface. He needed to know more about her character. Something just did not seem right to him. "Silva, what was she like when you first met her?"

* * *

_The sands of Orre blew all around Pyrite Town, giving a slight visual protection from both inside and outside the town. There was nothing beyond the crimson canyons that overlook the town from the north, east, and west except for the boundless bronze grains that decorate the entire area. The shady denizens and honorable thugs were up to their usual business of roaming the town, either battling in the town's Duel Square or earnestly competing in the Pyrite Colosseum for the prize of an imported Pokémon from another region. Pyrite's incompetent police force had much difficulty bringing order to various criminals. In other words, everything was the same as it ever was in dusty Pyrite Town._

_A new month meant a new challenge in the Pyrite Colosseum. It was the time in the month when Silva went out to recruit any willing and hopefully good-natured Trainers around town to compete in the Pyrite Colosseum. The young man emerged from Duking's place with the pretense of a professional leader, quickly scanning the area for possible combatants. He did this simply to keep the town alive and entertained, to help them flourish in life through the way of the Pokémon battle._

"If it were any consolation, it went by really quickly…"

_Glancing in the direction beyond the south past Cail, the self-appointed gatekeeper and top Rogue of Pyrite, Silva noticed a weary figure heading towards town. He knew that any outsider of Pyrite Town would be dealt with by Cail in a battle, but from the looks of the incoming disoriented traveler, Silva believed that a Pokémon battle would not be an appropriate choice._

"_I think that guy needs serious medical help," Silva mumbled, quickly running towards the Pyrite gate, much to Cail's confusion and eventual chagrin against strangers. He went through the thin veil of sand traveling around the vicinity, supporting the wanderer before collapsing out of extreme exhaustion. He caught the individual by the arm, putting it around his neck and lifted the person up around the waist. Silva took a quick look on who he was now taking care of, scanning from head to toe. "Wait a minute… You're a girl…?"_

"You thought she was a guy from a distance?" Ash interrupted; the scenario triggered a memory response from within his subconscious. _Hmm…_ _Why does that scene sound so familiar?_

"Not the point! Just shut up and let me continue, Ash."

"_Hey, Silva!" Cail hollered as Silva ran past him with the weakened traveler hanging on his shoulder. "Who's that you got there?"_

_With the weakened and established girl on hand, Silva ignored the Rogue's yell, along with several other following responses from the townspeople, and hurried back to Duking's home, keeping his movement in slow, even rhythm to avoid making her condition worse. Her respiratory pace was somewhat normal, yet her body temperature was dangerously nearing Orre's lowest regional temperature of the summer. Her clothing was tattered, dirtied, and dusty from continuous exposure to the sand. Silva ran back into his muscular friend's locality before anyone around town had a chance to question why he had a frail, violet-haired guy in need of serious attention._

"Several volunteer members of the ONBS medical staff were able to treat _her_ quickly, stabilizing her condition and guaranteeing her survival and cooperation…"

_The girl lied asleep on the bed, her expression neutral and her soft skin pale as ever. She had remained in a rather comatose state for two days since Silva's decision to rescue her from the outer desert; day three guaranteed her active consciousness. As an automatic response to the hushed conversation outside her room, she slowly stirred awake, attempting to break free from the thick blankets that forcibly protected her. She slowly opened her eyes; the outside world seemed as dreary and lifeless as her inner world. She sat up on her bed, blinking unconsciously over her dilated, unresponsive pupils that were staring at nothing particular in the space in front of her._

_Where… Where am I? she thought, her vision of the unknown room coming into focus._

"_Look, she's my responsibility now, Duking, so I'll make sure she recovers until she can fully walk again on her own two feet without passing out!" Silva's voice declared from outside. The door slowly jarred open, revealing the young man that rescued her and the large, hulking figure that own the entire establishment, including the room. "Oh, hey! You're finally awake!" _

_The pale girl merely stared at him blankly; she was utterly confused on how she got here and why she was even here in the first place. Silva and Duking noticed how inapt she felt right now; both of them gingerly took a seat by the foot of her bed. The girl looked down upon her covered lap with her empty stare; she still felt rather exhausted even after waking up from a two day nap._

"_Miss, you shouldn't push yourself lest Silva here gets up on my case again," Duking suggested, much to Silva's annoyance. "You're welcome to stay here and recover for as long as you like." The lilac-haired girl still said nothing, opting rather to stare into space than anything else. _

"_Hey, are you feeling okay over there?" Silva asked, cautiously inching closer to the girl in order to better sympathize with whatever pain she currently had. He found her, and he might as well oversee her recuperation. The girl slowly responded with a nod, showing that she was aware of the two men taking care of her now. "That's good. But first, just so that we would be on even ground, what is your name? What are you addressed as?" The young woman slightly lifted her head up, yet her dull eyes had not left her lap. Silva tensed, worried that there was more to her than met the eye._

"_My name… is Anabel…"_

"Wait! Her name was _Anabel_?" Ash repeated, sounding unreservedly shocked for the first time since his arrival in Pyrite Town. _Why do I feel like there's still something wrong? Like I'm missing out on something?_ He felt his throat swell, unable to swallow without difficulty. He did not hide his anxiety too well. Something inside him was trying to break free, to explain something that Silva did not know quite accurately. However, Ash held it in, forcing himself to keep quiet until he was prompted or otherwise.

"Yeah; is there something wrong?" Silva inquired.

"… I-It's nothing," Ash replied in a rather downcast tone. _So it's Anabel that Justy found out that went to Pyrite Town, but it can't be… No! I can't keep jumping to conclusions again. Not this time!_ The young Aura Guardian took a deep breath, clearing the berserk storm of conflicting thoughts and contradictions in his mind. Guilt and apprehension nearly suffocated him at the moment. "Please… Please continue, Silva." Ignoring his latest bizarre change in behavior, Silva cleared his thought and resumed narration.

"She simply came one day without much knowledge prior to arrival in Pyrite, only with an empty heart and weakened soul… She did not know how or why she ended up here in the first place, only answering that she lacked something very important to her… She came without purpose…"

_Anabel was sitting by a lone rock platform near the Pyrite chasm on the side opposite of the distant Pyrite Colosseum. She observed the activity of the ONBS building, impassively watching the fulfilled young men and women working about with the latest news of Orre. The sudden noise of an audience roar erupting from the Colosseum suddenly caught her attention, seemingly revitalizing her with energy and bringing her back from the state between life and death. From a far distance, Silva noted her particular interest in the Pyrite Colosseum, but decided to keep the thought under wraps for now._

"I learned that she was a Trainer, a Frontier Brain to be specific, from the Kanto region, which got me to wonder why she was all the way out here in the Orre region… I assumed that she wanted to experience more battles in order to fill her heart, but it turned out that there was another problem with her…"

_Silva was nearly finishing the registrations for the next round of the Pyrite Colosseum one night, sorting out names of local and visiting Trainers on his clipboard. As he neared Anabel's room, the distinct sound of soft crying stood out to him in the silence of the calm night. Silva felt his heart sped; he wondered if something had upset Anabel earlier the day. Being as courteous as possible, he tentatively tapped the wooden door for permission to enter._

"_Anabel?" Silva whispered, carefully pushing the door forward as her sobs slowed and quieted down upon his presence. "What's wrong?" The young woman sniffled, drying her eyes with her sleeves before looking up at him with dreary, red-blurred eyes. Her pitiful sight just tore at his heart, bringing her into an embrace to calm her down. She was his responsibility, and he was dedicated on helping her recover. "I'm here, now please tell me what's wrong."_

"_That dream again…"_

"I'm no psychologist, but having the same dream of losing a familiar boy to the darkness is not good," Silva surmised, noticing an equally worried expression on Ash. His story was reaching out to him in more ways that he would have realized. "She couldn't remember a thing, yet that dream continued to haunt her. Anabel couldn't remember who the boy in her dreams was, only to be convinced that she was once very close to him… until fate tore her away and threw her here to Pyrite Town."

"I hear you," Ash replied in a low voice.

"If I had to guess, some dense idiot must have broke her heart and left her in the desert to burn. You know, Anabel would occasionally see another man in her dreams. She described the second man as completely different from the first in looks and attitude. She explained that he was one of the main causes that the first man left her, don't know why. All I can say about the second guy from what I've learned from Anabel that he must have been a real_ git_."

"Ohh…"

"Ash, are you feeling okay?" Silva asked gently. "You don't look so hot after this explanation, and I'm not even done explaining what happened to Anabel, how she changed."

"What?!" Ash yelled, strangely astonished by the brief announcement.

"The worst has yet to come from what I'm about to tell you…"

_One afternoon in Pyrite Town had fell into an ominous silence. The citizens went about their daily business, but had done so with extra precaution than before. It was not the law or apprehensions of ambushes that they were worried about. They all somehow felt the portentous, eerie silence emanating from Duking's building. What went on in there was none of their concern, but they could not help but feel that they would all be affected one way or another._

_The heart of the silence came from the office of the muscular man himself. He and Silva were together dealing with a client from the opposite side of the mayor's desk. The only problem about it, the cause of the silence, was that the client was Anabel herself. Her body had just recovered from the ordeals of the desert a day ago or so, so it was no surprise that her demands caused both certified figures of Pyrite Town to gape at her._

"_Anabel dear, do you know what you're even asking for?" Duking warned, resuming a stern façade to reinforce his top position. "It's going to question my authority and possibly get me evicted from the mayor's seat. If that happens, then Pyrite Town would go back into a lawless, anarchist settlement it was before I stepped up. It'll be even worse than before as they now live in fear of Reverse-Cipher."_

"_Plus, you just recovered your inner strength," Silva added, his tone urgent. "If you push yourself further than you can handle, then something worse might happen to you."_

"_Oh, so you think that I'm not capable of going through with it?" Anabel inquired, her tone sounding rather offended. "I'm still the strong Trainer I was before. I need to do this if I'm to find out more about what had happened to me the past week, who the two guys in my dreams were, and why I… I feel so empty." Her defiance seemed to have suddenly left her, nearly rendering her into the pitiable mess she was when she was taken in. Though she did not cry as much anymore, her depression alone was contagious. Whatever conflict her heart was currently in has yet to be fully resolved. Silva felt his muscles tense from the pitiful scene unfolding before him; he felt that he was going to regret allowing this. "I… I have to do this. Even Madame Fateen foresees it, which means I must do it…!" _

"_Well, Silva? It's your call," Duking motioned, sighing heavily. "Make sure it's the right one." Silva nodded slowly, grudgingly forcing his body to move forward and approach the distraught lilac-haired girl. He trusted the judgment of his younger ward, even though he wished that he had authority over the delicate topic on hand. However, it was now Silva's turn to decide their fate._

"_Anabel?" Silva asked kindly. The young woman lifted her head up, establishing perfect eye contact with Duking's younger ward and easing her distress. "Are you sure you can go through the Pyrite Colosseum challenge? Unlike the other Colosseums around the Orre region, this one has gained the newest reputation of being sort of 'underground' and all." He stood in front of her, extending a hand out to her. _

"_I have to battle; that's where I might find all my answers," Anabel replied, softly grasping onto his hand with her own hand._

"I shouldn't have given in, but I was confident in her mentioned abilities to make it far in the tournament…"

_The vicious Pyrite crowd was in an uproar. A chorus of shattering__, barbaric__ jeers were united to pressure the two final round combatants and their remaining Pokémon. On one side, the currently reigning Champion, a local female Chaser named Emok, wore a rather triumphant smirk, thinking that she was about to protect her title against the newest challenger. On the other side, the challenger was struggling for her life. Anabel was not battling to her fullness due to her inner conflicts and had been extremely lucky to end up in the finals. However, she was the first to lose one Pokémon in the Double Battle before managing to even the score against the Rider with Espeon's help. The last bout was underway, but Espeon had been reaching her limit while her opponent was still fresh from its release into battle._

_Silva and Duking were in their special seats in the Colosseum, witnessing the savage beat down taking place. Anabel's Espeon was hanging on by through the sheer will and dedication to her lost Trainer, but Anabel merely stood at the side, frozen by fear. Duking noticed his younger friend attempting to look away, unable to bear his mistake for allowing her to compete._

"Since the first rounds, I quickly surmised from her preferences to Psychic-type Pokémon and her understanding nature that she might have psychic abilities herself, but there was something wrong…"

"_Espeon, use Quick Attack!"_

"_E-fwie!"_ _Espeon yelled, hastily sprinting forward with a bright trail of light energy tailing behind her. She utilized her momentum and entire body into a strong tackle against her opponent, a Swalot, but was unfortunately repelled by the Poison Bag Pokémon's bulk. _

"_Nice try, little girl," Emok sneered, folding her arms across her chest while smirking at the careless attacks her opponent made. "Still think you're tough enough for the big girl games? Wallflowers like you never stood a chance."Anabel glanced at her before looking upon her weakened Espeon; the Sun Pokémon was desperate to stand back on all fours despite the palpable bruises and dirt ruining her fur. Her Trainer's lilac eyes shimmered in despondency and tore up at the sight of her best friend being tossed around while cursing her own helplessness._

"_What's wrong with me…?" Anabel muttered to herself, falling to her knees while clutching her head as though she wanted to wake from this nightmare. "Why…? Why is this happening to me…?!" Her thin body trembled under the pressuring gazes of the disrespectful crowd as Emok had her Swalot torture Espeon for all her worth as she mercilessly berated and shattered her opponent's crumbling resolve. _

"Anabel had been completely out of sync with her Pokémon… It was nothing but sheer luck that she made it into the finals… And with her opponent and the whole audience heckling her the entire time did not help _at all_…"

_Anabel remained crouching on the floor, unable to bear the harsh realities swirling around her now. She was dealing with a group of unfriendly__, savage__ Trainers and citizens, mocking her for her softness and inability to aggressively fight back. Her memory had continued to betray her in the form of her own dreams, taunting her with possible truths that she would never come to realize. She had fallen out of sync with her Pokémon, which was how and why their attacks were mistimed and inappropriate for certain situations. It resulted in injuries far beyond that of physical wounds; her ties to her Pokémon have started to totter on the scale__, questioning her credibility as a Trainer__. However, the worst that had happened to Anabel was that she still felt unfulfilled. Her soul felt empty and for some reason, she felt her heart to be painful and shattered by someone she believed to be once close to her._

"_Pain… Nothing but pain… It hurts…," Anabel cried softly to herself, wrapping her arms around her entire body as a gesture to prevent her from falling apart. "Why…?"_

"_Why, you ask?" Emok repeated sardonically, having overheard her opponent's cries to use for further humiliation. "You're a weak, dainty, little wallflower who's in way over her head in this competition. Your looks and personality just scream 'innocent girl,' making you such an easy target to pick at. And the fact that you're easily depressed makes it even easier to toy with you. You should have grown a backbone or something because it was just too easy to mess with your head, little girl. Learn this lesson well and hopefully you might be able to recover any of your dignity at all." Anabel did not answer back, yet her trembling had stopped. Emok raised an eyebrow, intrusive over what she was up to now. _

"_Dignity…?" Anabel repeated quietly, not budging an inch from her crouched position. "I had nothing, not even dignity, to begin with when I came here." She slowly stood straight up on her feet, surprising Emok and the rest of the audience with this sudden rush of confidence. Her head was still hanging low. "Now I understand…"_

"_Understand what?!" Emok screamed, astonished and strangely scared of the development unfolding before her, the development of Anabel's darker side._

"_I was thrown aside because I was weak, fragile, and delicate," Anabel began, her head still hung low. "I wandered around the cruel deserts of Orre without a reason to live. I arrived in Pyrite Town to recover my strength and for the torture to reset itself." The audience fell into a chilled hush, leaning closer to the center battlefield to see what was truly going on. They noticed Anabel's head started to inch up, slowly revealing her face as she continued to speak about her recent misfortunes in the past. "I secretly envied each of the townspeople here for having a purpose to drive them around. I found a friend and guide in the form of Silva. I wanted to compete here in the Pyrite Colosseum as I believed that battling would give me the answers I desired." Her head became fully erect. Emok gasped in shock from the unfitting expression that contorted her opponent's face. A thin smile formed on Anabel's pale lips, which looked like it nearly split her face in half. "And now, I have found a new purpose thanks to you, dear Emok…"_

"_Oh, snap!" Emok shouted through her teeth, suddenly fearful for her life. At the same time, Anabel's Espeon stood back on her feet with a renewed sense for battling through the bond she shared with her best friend. Her eyes darkened and narrowed. Her abruptly venomous hisses intimidated the opposing Swalot__, who stumbled and tripped onto its back as a result__._

"_Espeon, Zap Cannon!"_

"_Fwie!" Espeon shouted, immediately firing an electrical sphere from her mouth at the frightened Swalot. The Zap Cannon bounced into the Poison Bag Pokémon and disappeared, not before paralyzing its entire body._

"_Now use Psychic!"_

"_E-fiiiiie!" Espeon growled, concentrating her mental powers upon the stunned Swalot. Its body was captured by blue psychic energy in addition to the static discharge as a result to its exposure to a direct Zap Cannon. _

"_Swa! Swa!" Swalot cried, attempting to move and break out of the mental trap. Its singular movements were futile as the searing pain from Psychic was increasingly dangerous to its rotund body. The Poison Bag Pokémon hollered helplessly in pain as it was now Emok's turn to watch the terrible torment of her Pokémon._

"_St-Stay calm," Emok shivered, refusing to give up just because of Anabel's dark liberation. "Swalot, use Sludge Bomb!" The Chaser gained a spark of hope when she saw Swalot inhaling with its large mouth, only to lose it upon the sudden deflation when the paralysis took effect. The bind from Espeon's Psychic became tighter, creating total immobilization for the Poison Bag Pokémon. Swalot squirmed and squirmed, only to suffer more from the pain of Espeon's intense mental glare. Emok could not take this torture; even she knew her own limits. "No… Please! Don't do this! Not my Swalot! I'm sorry, Anabel! Please!" She watched Anabel's reaction to her pleas, only to see her terrible smirk curling upon her lips again._

"_Yes, scream for me even more," Anabel replied, the circumstance becoming worse by the second as her smirk looked even more vicious. "Scream and beg for the mercy you don't deserve. Give me more of those delicious cries of pleasure."_

"_Please! Stop this! I'm sorry!" Emok screamed, nearly heading into a breakdown herself upon the sight of her tortured Swalot. She fell on one knee and closed her ears off, unable to see or hear her Pokémon's pathetic state and helplessness. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to go this far… It's just a competition…"_

"_Oh, life is more than just a game, dear Emok," Anabel replied in a rather sickly-sweet tone. "But since you now know your place, I'll give Swalot back to you. Iron Tail!"_

"_E-fie!" Espeon shouted, striking her silver-glowing forked tail against Swalot's abdomen, forcing Swalot into the air and towards its Trainer's direction. The Poison Bag Pokémon landed in a dull thud before her feet._

"_Swalot, no!" Emok cried, cradling the beaten Pokémon with her arms as Anabel was proclaimed the winner and new Champion of the Pyrite Colosseum._

_

* * *

_

"Out of desperation, Anabel had created an almost second personality, in a way," Silva explained to a flabbergasted Aura Guardian and his Pikachu. "She diverted all her pain, her sorrow, and anger into this personality, which had now become dominant since then. So as far as you should be concerned about her, this is now 'D'ana' you're dealing with, Ash."

"What have I done…?" Ash whispered, a sheer look of horror paling his entire face. His entire body was trembling from the sudden drop of his temperature; his ultimate remorse was overriding his bodily functions.

"Pardon?"

"Anabel… I thought she would be safe after I left," Ash explained hesitantly, attempting to keep his composure under control. "Reverse-Cipher was after me; they were relentless. I was not safe to be around anymore. She could not be safe around me." His mumbles, though becoming increasingly incoherent, had gradually pieced the puzzle in Silva's head. The young man's fists tensed and cracked as Ash slowly elaborated more of the story, nearly completing the enigma that was Anabel.

"So then, _you_ were the one who broke up with Anabel and left her alone to resign to her fate?" Silva clarified, his tone strained by his conscious effort to remain calm while his body had other brutal motives.

"You've got to listen to me, Silva," Ash pleaded as regret had taken its full course upon his mind, forcing his eyes upon to the harsh truth and consequence for his actions. "Reverse-Cipher is becoming out of control, determined to stop me from meddling and—." He stopped dead cold upon receiving a straight jab to the side of his face from the enraged Silva. Pikachu was stunned from the violent display, immediately jumping into action and went in between the two humans to protect his friend.

"You rash _idiot_!" Silva growled, panting erratically from releasing most of his anger into the punch. "How _selfish_ could you get?! Do you ever _think_ about what you'd about to do?!" Ash stood back up, wiping a small amount of blood from the side of his lip.

"I suppose I had that coming," Ash stated calmly, taking in a deep breath before confronting the livid young man standing before him and Pikachu. "It's kind of funny now that I think of it. Usually, when I trusted my gut instead of my head, I would end up with what I need the most. I guess it can't happen all the time, even when I want it to."

"Bastard! You_ ruined_ her life!" Silva shouted, his body shaking under complete rage. He was prepared to strike the young Aura Guardian down, thinking that he was going to defend himself from being hit again. Ash got the idea, but merely stood in place with his hands by his sides.

"If you want to hurt me because of what I've done to Anabel, go right ahead," Ash replied; his answer surprised both Silva and Pikachu. "It's time I've begun to accept responsibility for everything. I'm not running away from anyone anymore." He held his arms out, completely unprotected and unarmed. He was not going to bother bringing out his own Pokémon; this was _his_ problem and battle.

Silva raised a brow, confounded yet again by his change in behavior. From first meeting Ash in Duking's office, his first impression on the young Aura Guardian was that he was brash and impatient. But there was another side of him that he did not even look into: his serious, accountable, and matured persona. Most people would deny such vicious accusations to their actions and avoid taking responsibility altogether out of petty fear and insecurity. He knew that everyone went through such stage, including himself at one point or another. Ash was no different from anyone else, but his sudden rise to take liability for the misfortunes that befell Anabel had rather left the young man speechless. Silva calmed down through his steady breath rate. He merely locked fierce stares with Ash instead.

"I'm not going to hit you anymore; moreover, I now know that I've just been wasting time trying to take my anger out on you," Silva announced, much to Ash's surprise. "While it is true that you were the cause of her misery, you were once the cause of her happiness as well, right?"

"That's correct," Ash replied with a nod. Silva snorted; a thin, rather wry smile dangling upon his lips. "Hmm?"

"I guess it does make sense that you've come back to right your wrongs and take Anabel back," Silva surmised, folding his arms across his chest while still keeping the same expression upon his face.

"What are you trying to say?" Ash asked, repressing his innate impatience for the good of the cause. Silva's mood instantly darkened; the ambiance in the room had become dour and frozen in time, in a sense.

"What I'm trying to say is that bringing Anabel back to her senses is _not_ going to be easy," Silva warned, grabbing a fist full of Ash's shirt to display the severity of the circumstance. Ash sensed no threat from him, but allowed him to do whatever it took to convey his message. "Her second personality, born from her anguish and desperation, now lives for the emotional pain of others, including her own. She seeks to make others suffer for what they have done to her; in other words, she's a lot more open and forward than she used to be. She's not going to give up without a fight." Ash gave a curt nod, having understood Silva's message and started to head out the door. "Wait! I'm not finished yet!"

"You don't have to," Ash replied, allowing his Pikachu to reclaim his place on his shoulder. "I'm not going to abandon Anabel ever again. I don't leave my friends behind, even if they do sound like hopeless causes. Whatever you say, it's not going to discourage me." He placed a hand on the doorknob, turning it slowly before looking back at Silva one last time. The young Aura Guardian read his expression as that of solid truth; Silva was sure he could bring Anabel back. "After all, I'm not Paul."

* * *

_Elsewhere in the Orre region…_

The desert sun was at an all high, scorching the barren land with its unforgiving heat. As a possible conception from nature itself, it loathed the Reverse-Cipher organization for toying with powerful forces as mere tools of power. Giratina was no exception, as the deity of antimatter that resided in the Distortion World, it alone help preserved the balance between time and space. However, the deluded members of Reverse-Cipher refused to admit not having the drive to control such forces and still continued in their wicked works. One of their plans right now was to guard their secret transportation station between Citadark Isle and the Reverse-Cipher Key Prison, which was formerly the Cipher Key Lair, tied to the main desert land.

The main transportation station was none other than the abandoned Shadow Pokémon Laboratory. With the creation of the ShadowPokérus, the building was turned into a relay point to and from either Citadark Isle or the Key Prison, home to those that Reverse-Cipher captured as hostages or traitors. A lone Peon stood out in front of the crumbled building as the sole guard that would make sure that the secret remained a secret.

"Why did I sign up for this anyway?" the Peon grumbled, continuing his pace back and forth in front of the entrances. "There's nothing to do except get roasted by this heat, which will hopefully be gone once XD00∞ reaches its full power and blocks out that accursed sun."

"A-Ah-Ah-choo!"

"What was that?!" he yelled, immediately increasing his awareness to the empty desert surroundings. Not much stood out to him as the Peon searched for the direction of the sneeze and possibly the source. There were a few gray rocks here and there, but what caught his attention was the large rock centered among the smaller ones. "That's peculiar." He eyed it carefully until intolerantly deeming the fact as nothing more than a bunch of strangely colored and arranged rocks. "This is _such_ a waste of my time!"

"Ah-CHOO!"

"Aha! So there _is_ someone hiding behind those rocks!" the Peon declared, chuckling rather madly to himself. "There's no point to resist now that you're dealing with _me_!"

_Damn it! For all the times for me to sneeze, this was a horrible time to do so,_ the individual behind the rock through, scowling at his carelessness. _If I didn't know any better, I would say that someone wanted to walk upon my grave. Well, it's just one pathetic Peon anyway. I'm more than a match for a whole army. Still, for him to figure out the arrangement of Magmortar's Rock Tomb, I've got to give that lowlife some credit…_ Deciding that there was no point in concealing himself within his own rocks, he leapt out from the shadows ready to strike back. His hands each held a Poké Ball, waiting to release the powerful creatures that resided within.

"Who the hell are you?!" the Peon demanded. The confrontation had begun at last.

"Honchkrow and Claydol, stand by for battle!"

* * *

_What a day this has been,_ Ash thought, laying on top the bed of his rented second floor room in the Pyrite Super Grand Hotel. The lights overhead were still on, illuminating upon his spread figure. His Pokémon were being treated at the small Pokémon Center in the first floor. _Anabel…_

Since his little conversation with Silva, Ash's mind had been completely preoccupied with thoughts about Anabel. For one minute, he looked back to when they were still together, when they were still pretty much in love. He then made the comparison to her drastic change overall; circumstances and his own foolishness blinded him completely. Ash needed to redeem himself no matter what, by redeeming Anabel out of her darkness. He continued to contemplate how it all happened, how fate had been beyond his control and took a turn for a worse, when he heard a slight rapping at his door.

_Who could it be at this hour?_ Ash thought, sitting up to the side of his bed to clear his head of the storm in his mind. He stood up and approached the door, opening it and revealing the individual behind it to be the very one he had least expected to be visited by. "You!" The Pyrite Mistress, revealed to him by Silva to be none other than Anabel, stood before him in her deadly grace. D'ana merely smirked at his reaction.

"Hey there, little man," she purred, lacing her tone with an unknown, yet vicious intent. Ash planted his feet firmly into the ground. This was not the same Anabel he was dealing with now; he could see the complete change in her cold, lifeless eyes. "Want to get to _know_ each other a bit more?" Ash gritted his teeth sharply, preparing for the possible worst to come from her visit.

* * *

**Not much I can say now aside from Paul finally making a brief appearance in quite a while now. For a bit of trivia, because something bad was supposedly said about him by Ash, Paul sneezed twice. I toyed with this Eastern Asian sneeze myth in some of my other stories and I found it rather fitting to use it here to guide us all in the right direction on what's going to happen.**

**Before you review, please think and answer in your review this brief opinion poll question. I may or may not choose to use the results of it, but that is something we will wait and see:**

**Which ending credits song from the tenth Pokémon movie, **_**The Rise of Darkrai**_**, do you prefer? The English ending with "I'll Always Remember You," sung by Kirsten Price or the Japanese ending with "I Will Be With You," sung by Sarah Brightman and Chris Thompson? Personally, I like the latter better; I'm just curious what you all think…**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	32. Prelude

**Well, I've been definitely preoccupied with studying for final exams, but thank goodness they're almost over with. And by almost, I mean that some have been tightly scheduled for certain days at certain times for now and I have been **_**extremely**_** diligent on working on them just as I would on my stories and chapters. But I digress. At least I can finally relax for a bit and catch up on a few things before I can continue writing as many chapters as I could. I just want to make this quick update before I continue on.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**What was originally a peaceful evening resting his strength had immediately turned into an unexpected confrontation from his main enemy. Ash kept both his breath and heart rates in regulation, preventing any possible visible signs of weakness in front of the Pyrite Mistress herself. He even made sure that not a bead of sweat would trail down the side of his face upon the arising conflict. He just could not show who he really was to her, not yet anyway. His entire time traveling through the Orre region alone without _her_ was a great hardship, allowing him to rebuild his mind and spirit to match his ideals of saving humanity while still capable of maintaining strong ties to his Pokémon and to his friends. Though life had its unforeseen twists and turns, Ash had not predicted that his first trial on rebuilding trust with the one being trapped within her own darkness would take place in his own hotel room.

"What is it that you want from me, D'ana?" Ash asked bluntly, slightly wincing from the fact over who he was really addressing himself towards. _I still can't believe that it could be her, of all people, in only a few weeks. What have I done…?_ The Colosseum Mistress merely stood by the doorway out in the hallway. Both Trainers did not move a single muscle until D'ana ended the moment with a curling wicked smile.

"I just wanted to say 'hi' before the tournament," D'ana replied; her smirk alone seemed to have twisted the definition of simply bidding the young Aura Guardian a visit, "and for us to get to _know_ each other better." She placed a foot forward, causing Ash to instinctively step back into a half-defensive stance. He was unsure what her true intentions were for visiting him unexpectedly in the middle of the evening, and he did not want to be the one to throw the first punch. In any case, he still felt guilty over what had happened to the fallen Salon Maiden, expecting karma to retaliate in any form at any time. Perhaps this was another trial that fate had decided to test him in.

"I'm warning you," Ash whispered in low breath, enforcing his warning with as much authority he mustered. "I don't want to have to fight you now."

"Then don't fight me," D'ana purred, gingerly striding towards the weary young Trainer. Ash kept his distance, though his rising panic was attempting to break out of his throat and scream for help. However, if he showed any form of weakness before his destined opponent, he would never hear the end of it from her or anyone else. "I know you can't fight me anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Ash demanded quickly, mentally biting his tongue to prevent himself from losing control.

"All of your Pokémon, including your Pikachu, are at the Pokémon Center main floor of this hotel," D'ana explained, placing a hand by her slender hip. Ash noted that when she made her dramatic entrance in Duking's office earlier, there was something coiled by her thigh; another lesson he had learned in life was that not all things appeared as they seemed.

"And your point is…?" Ash muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes focused upon the strange object D'ana's hand hovered on; her fist tightened to his response.

"_I've_ got the advantage!" D'ana shouted in sadistic glee, swiftly moving her hand in a swipe in front of Ash. Having anticipated some sort of assault from her fist's reflex, Ash leaned back and witnessed a sharp phenomenon slashing through the air right in front of his face. If he had not moved back as intuitively as he did, he felt sure that his upper torso would be completely separated from his waist. However, his prone form was left vulnerable to a reflexive tackle from the Pyrite Mistress that forced the two of them unto the soft, luxurious bed with D'ana lying on top of him like a ravenous predator.

"You're out of your mind!" Ash shouted, attempting to break free from under D'ana's body. However, the Pyrite Mistress kept him pinned with her full weight upon the bed, smirking upon the realization of the positions they were currently in. "What…?"

"What an appropriate place for you to be in right now," D'ana whispered menacingly, drawing her face near his. Her breath flowed against the side of his face; its scent was that of fresh strawberries and lilacs. "Though, I've never been forward with a man within just one day."

"So I'm supposed to be a special case or something?" Ash retorted, still attempting to break free despite the grave futility. "Ugh… And what did you mean by 'being forward within a day,' huh?"

"Silly, helpless little man," D'ana taunted, lightly flicking Ash on his forehead with a finger. Her expression, however, changed from lighthearted pleasure to grim severity within a second. "Believe or not, the challengers before you were pathetic wimps. They weren't worth a single flirtatious glance. However, before they would move on, I'd simply tease them with a victory they would never attain."

"In other words, you're still clean," Ash surmised bluntly, trying to break his arms free from under her weight. D'ana raised an inquiring eyebrow; the young Aura Guardian got the message. "Let's just say my friends told me that such things are only for after you get married."

"Oh, spare me. The men I've battled before weren't even worthy to kiss my feet," D'ana sneered, insidiously lifting a finger in front of her stubborn prey's face. "However…" She slowly traced Ash's facial features, including the thin zigzag marks on his cheeks down to the outline of his soft lips. "I've grown impatient of waiting since then, but now I can say that my patience has finally paid off."

"Is _this_ what you've been after this whole time?!"

"Oh, heavens no," D'ana replied in false innocence, waving her hands around in denial as a mock gesture as a rather sadistic grin slowly curled her lips. "I just like breaking my enemies and victims down until they are beyond repair and hope is all." A dark glint sparkled in her right lilac pupil, that of vicious and savage lust. "After all…" She lowered her face down to his; their cheeks were practically touching as she slightly licked his ear lobe. "… This is the way of the Pyrite." Ash's body stiffened upon the nerving chill surging down his spine from the onset of sensuous movements his captor started, her slender thighs rubbing into his sides.

"Let… _go of me_!" Ash grunted fiercely, but to no avail. D'ana's firm legs kept him in place, into the position that she saw fit for him. He was trapped; even his arms were pinned and unable to knock her off of him. His entire body was restrained, and the possible thoughts of what the Pyrite Mistress might do to him made him anything but calm. He was not even able to focus his own aura at his current state.

"That's it! Squirm! Squirm and plead to your mistress! Squirm for me like the helpless little man you are!"

"… Ack!"

"What is going on here?!" the rather stern voice of the Pyrite Super Grand Hotel manager yelled, coincidentally beginning to enter the open doorway to Ash's room. "I've received complaints about a bit of roughhousing in the second floor's east wing." He narrowed his eyes upon discovering the position of his young customer and the visiting Pyrite Colosseum Mistress were in upon the bed. "What in the—?"

"You're interrupting our time together," D'ana stated coolly, not even sparing him a glance while still trying to have her way with Ash. "Get lost. We've just begun the _love _process." Unknown to both the Colosseum Mistress and the hotel manager, Ash rolled his eyes deprecatingly, though he was still grateful that someone barged in on time before anything irreparable could have actually taken place.

"Miss D'ana, despite what you young kids are into these days, if you can't respect the rules of this hotel, then I'm afraid that I'll have to kick you out," the hotel manager explained, shaking his head in dissatisfaction. "If you had wanted to do it, you should have at least attempted to be more discreet about it and close the door without much noise."

"What are you saying?!" Ash shouted in outrage, straining himself to lift his head up to look at the hotel manager. "You actually allow people to do such things in your hotel?"

"There's no point in me for putting up the rules when no one in town would bother following them," the hotel manager sighed. "But if they can't respect the peace and privacy of others, then I will step up when necessary."

"Tch, fine then," D'ana groaned with a rather nonchalant shrug, lifting her legs off of Ash and hopped off his bed. She got to her feet and dusted herself off casually. "I would actually prefer humiliating my opponents _after_ they've lost in the ring. I guess my desires got the best of me." The heels of her boots clacked loudly as she stoically stormed towards the door, but the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress glanced back at the recuperating Aura Guardian after passing in front of the hotel manager. "See you at the ring." She left with a sly wink, determined to get what she wanted from Ash at their foreseen battle.

"What a day," Ash moaned, collapsing upon his bed and falling asleep without much of a care. His ordeals during the day had drained much of his mental strength; he desperately needed the sleep. The hotel manager gave a brief nod to his sleeping form, acknowledging his involuntary request for a hopefully peacefully sleep.

"Good luck in the Colosseum Challenge, young man," the hotel manager mumbled solemnly, slowly closing the door on the way out. He knew what Ash would be up against, given his experience as a rather regular spectator in the Pyrite Colosseum. He sighed, hoping that the light of justice would finally break through Pyrite Town's savage darkness. _You'll definitely need it…_

_

* * *

_The morning came as bright and dry as it usually was for the Orre region. Pyrite Town was no exception, but the citizens had woken from their slumber and went about their daily activities. It was still rather early in the morning that Ash and Pikachu had emerged from the Pyrite Super Grand Hotel entrance, stretching their limbs as they breathed in fresh air of the outside environment.

"I don't know about you, Pikachu, but I feel completely recharged," Ash commented, noting his extra morning energy. Pikachu briefly gave him a wry look, mainly because of his rather peculiar choice of words. Aside from that, though, the Mouse Pokémon eagerly agreed with his best friend's sentiments with a wide smile. "Let's go register at Pyrite Colosseum."

"Pika," Pikachu mumbled, his ears twitching from the tone of the young Aura Guardian. "Pika Pikachu…"

Pikachu picked out the seriousness within his rather lighthearted declaration. If there was anything the Mouse Pokémon had learned from traveling with Ash for over seven years, it was that he could sound so carefree while maintaining a hidden somber motive underneath. Experience had taught the both of them a lot, but there was simply no time to reflect back. Pikachu and Ash passed several townspeople that eyed the strange outsiders with curiosity and fear hidden in outward contempt. The pressure from their gazes affected them more or less, but they have been dedicated to their responsibilities for so long that they would not be easily dissuaded by mere intimidation. The duo crossed the sturdy wooden bridge above the chasm after passing by the ONBS building, whose reporters were solely focused upon inciting courage throughout Orre to fight back against Reverse-Cipher.

"The Pyrite Colosseum's not that far," Ash pointed out. A decrepit, dome-shaped, and rather chthonian stadium loomed a few meters ahead from where he and Pikachu were. The distance closed rather quickly and the duo entered the wide open entrance of the Colosseum. Even the inside looked rather ancient, yet there was a bit of modern technology mixed in with the corroding construction as several air conditioners were active in different directions. "Hmm, so where do we sign up?"

"Right over here!" a hefty voice bellowed haughtily. Ash faced the direction to where his question was answered in the form of a bold muscular man wearing a red vest, purple gloves, and thick metal wristbands. The features that stood out from the man, however, were his long and thin mustache and eyebrows. "How are you today, young man?"

"Uh, I'm fine," Ash replied sheepishly, taken back by the receptionist's overbearing demeanor as he approached the counter. "Anyway, I'm here to register for the Pyrite Colosseum Challenge taking place very soon." He took out his red Pokédex from his pants pocket, which had always served as his official Pokémon Trainer ID ever since he started out.

"Of course you are!" the muscular receptionist chortled, gingerly taking the Pokédex into his hands and scanning over it quickly. "A Pokédex, eh? We don't see many Trainers with these things as Trainers of Orre use P*DAs instead. You must not be from around here, are you?"

"I'm from the Kanto region, to be exact," Ash explained. Sure enough, his personal information stored within the red Pokédex was displayed on screen, which included his most recent picture for identification purposes. An organized column stated his registered name, his home town, his home region, his Trainer ID number, his current standing as a Trainer, and even the Pokémon he currently had on hand.

"I see, Ash Ketchum," the receptionist read aloud from the monitor, raising a long eyebrow that fluttered from the slight muscle movement. "Well, I'm pretty impressed that you made it big against the Elite Four of the four main regions." He gazed upon the young man inquiringly, grinning. "But why would someone of your grand status come here to our humble little Colosseum?"

"I'm here to save a friend from her inner darkness," Ash stated matter-of-factly, his expression suddenly becoming grave and steadfast. The receptionist frowned a bit and sighed before handing the young Aura Guardian back his Pokédex; a nerve was struck, but he was rather used to the lingering pain from the past.

"So, you're just another kid trying to play the hero of Orre, huh?" he asked dourly, turning his chiseled back towards Ash with his thick arms folded behind him. "Off to fight vicious Shadow Pokémon and Snag them from evil Trainers, right?"

"This isn't a joke," Ash retorted calmly, quickly thinking over how to explain his current situation to the muscular receptionist without saying too much. It was still necessary for him to keep a low profile as long as he could, just so that Reverse-Cipher would have a harder time searching for him. "A friend that was once close to me and very close to Silva before her change was my responsibility. I'm here to clean up this mess and bring her back to her senses."

"I never said that you were joking around; I merely commented on how a young man like you has such strong morals, reminding me of a few experiences," the receptionist sighed, slowly turning around to face him. His piercing eyes gazed into Ash's own auburn eyes, establishing their link of communication into a higher level of understanding. "Since you willingly told me a part of your personal story, it would only be fair that I explained mine."

"Huh?" Ash grunted, a cautious feeling surging through his spine. The burly receptionist's muscles relaxed a bit before he went on to explain the full story of his rough memories.

"My name is Gonzap, the once proud leader of the now disbanded Team Snagem," he began. Before he continued, though, he noticed Ash's expression was that of momentary shock. "Hmm, do you actually know what Team Snagem is?"

"I've heard that they were a gang of thieves that received their technology for stealing other Trainer's Pokémon from Cipher years ago," Ash stated wearily, glaring at the former Snagem Head. Gonzap nodded curly to confirm the truths. "I also know that the first savior of Orre had originally come from Team Snagem, unable to live with the guilt of stealing Pokémon from Trainers." Gonzap scowled at the obvious mention, but his expression turned into a melancholic frown.

"I still don't know how I should feel about that boy," Gonzap mumbled, unaware that Ash and Pikachu could hear his contemplative musings quite clearly. His hard expression seemed to represent remorse rather than simple wrath. "That ungrateful punk really had some nerve, but thinking back at it now, maybe he _was_ a better man than I thought. Maybe better than me…"

_Does he mean Wes?_ Ash thought. The description matched the previous information he learned from his travels in the Orre region, right before he fought solo. Gonzap saw his understanding looking and smirked.

"If you're looking at me like that with those spaced-out eyes, then you must know who I've been thinking about, though it wouldn't surprise me," Gonzap explained, shrugging his huge biceps and brusquely shook his head to the sides. "You were the one who brought it up in the first place."

"But what's Wes got to do with what I'm doing now? I'm telling you that a friend of mine is lost in despair because I broke away from her for her own safety!" Ash argued, leaning closer to glare back at the hulking former Snagem Head. "I was never part of a criminal organization! And I am sure as heck _not_ desperate enough to own technology that would steal Pokémon from another Trainer! I'm only here in Pyrite Town for _her_!"

"Just shut up and let me explain, brat!" Gonzap roared; known for his dangerously low patience and high levels of volatile instability, Gonzap immediately clutched Ash's throat with his massive right hand, nearly suffocating the astonished Aura Guardian with his firm grip. Pikachu leapt up to the counter, his red cheeks crackling golden electricity as dangerously as his glare. The muscular receptionist sneered back, pulling Ash up to his level as the poor young man struggled to breath. "Call of your Pikachu now."

"Not until… let go… me," Ash managed to cough out, feeling his life starting to fade from his strangle hold. _What is it with old guys wanting to strangle me…? Ugh… _Seeing as his actions have done more harm than good, even if it was planned, Gonzap grudgingly released Ash from his grip and allowed him to breathe safely. As promised, Pikachu went to his best friend's side, more concerned over his safety than revenge for the gruff misdemeanor. "… Ah… That… hurts!"

"Sorry, alright?" Gonzap muttered in a sigh. Ash nodded and said nothing more. "Look, since I'm now the receptionist of Pyrite Colosseum, it only shows that I have indeed reformed and renounced Team Snagem for the past years." He massaged the muscle bridge between his eyes, calming himself down. "Even with Cipher defeated and crumbled, Team Snagem never had much of a future anyway. We never had enough funds or materials to repair our home base that was destroyed by Wes' sneak attack. We never even got a hold of a new Snag Machine, and with Cipher gone, we had no choice but to resort to common thievery and larceny like in the old days just to survive. And because we were wanted criminals for past felonies, we could not live like any ordinary citizen without being turned over to the police and eventually to prison."

"What… happened?" Ash asked in a slight wheeze, still recovering from the strangle Gonzap gave him.

"Team Snagem couldn't hide forever just like any other scum hiding in a dark alley, kid," Gonzap explained. "We were finally caught by real, competent authorities and given two choices. It was either lifetime imprisonment or years of service with parole. Same goes for my men, scattered around the Orre region doing who-knows-what. It was the lesser of two evils, just like Team Snagem was in comparison to Cipher now." He turned his back to Ash again, pacing slowly as he went to the wall that was behind him. Ash remained silent, but knew that he was sincere with his every austere word. "Looking back now, I'm actually happy to be finally free, to no longer hide like despised vermin doomed for extermination. This chance has allowed me to see the lighter things in life aside from stealing, such as the joys of being a proud father."

"… What?" Ash interrupted, too stunned to even comprehend the sudden shift of detail in Gonzap's rather riveting monologue. He and his equally shocked Pikachu exchanged glances, prompting some robust chuckling from the reformed Snagem Head. Gonzap turned around to face them; his entire face had softened. The tough guy was actually smiling.

"It took me too long to realize this, mainly due to pride, but I actually _am_ proud of Wes for rebelling and inspiring hope in this lowly, dusty little region," Gonzap continued, grinning somewhat like a madman. "People, even little kids, are now trying to overthrow Reverse-Cipher as it is these days. Just check out the ONBS if you want, but you'll most likely get in their way." His facial expression relaxed back into its usual hard indifference, but the feeling it gave off was approachable. "That is all. Thank you for hearing me out, young man. I hope you can save your friend from herself… or whatever."

"Uh, right," Ash replied, gradually regaining his composure from witnessing the many emotions of the reformed Snagem Head and Pyrite Colosseum receptionist. Another inquiring thought came to mind just recently. "Wait, Gonzap. What did you mean by 'joys of a proud father' and mentioning Wes after that?" The muscular receptionist simply grinned. Ash's eyes briefly widened, but he remained calm. "Are you really… his father?"

"More or less, I'm really his adopted father that merely did a favor for his real, desperate mother," Gonzap replied; his last few words sounded somber than the usual jovial haughtiness. Ash sensed a hidden massage behind it, but decided not to prod further than he should. Wes' past would be for another time.

"I'm sorry for bothering you now, Gonzap," Ash said, heading into the arena entrance, but not before he stopped upon hearing a loud grunt from the receptionist beckoning him to return for the moment.

"Just do your job, hero, and don't worry about it," Gonzap smirked confidently, motioning him to move on with a flick of his large hand. Ash nodded and left to begin his first round. With him gone, the reformed Snagem Head dropped his façade. He sighed with lingering hope and dread. Having registered all the current combatants this morning, he knew who would be competing in the first round. Coincidentally, a certain someone had paid him a visit earlier in the morning, _demanding_ that she would be placed at the bottom of the tournament ladder just so she could have fun, as far as she told him. _Better be careful, kid. This is only the beginning now that the Mistress has actually come off her throne to play with her toys._

_

* * *

Chaser Resila would like to battle!_

"This will be a single round, double battle knockout," the referee announced among the roars of the crowd. Though it was only the beginning, rumors about the visiting young man with the Pikachu had drawn them to see the fight and his prowess in battle. "There will be no substitutions and no time limit. The first to knock out all of the Trainer's Pokémon moves on to the next round. Have I made myself clear?"

"Got it!" both combatants concurred readily.

"Then let the battle begin!" the referee proclaimed, swinging his arms and held flags up to signal the commencement of the first round battle.

Ash eyed his first opponent carefully. By her rather casual apparel and white bandanna with long straps, she was deemed a Chaser by the audience. Whatever they were, he was not to take her or any other opponent lightly, considering who he must face as part of his true directive. Pikachu stayed on his shoulder, knowing the Pokémon choices his best friend was going to make in order to move on quickly. As much as he hated to ruin a potentially exciting battle, Ash had pressing matters waiting for him at the final round of the Pyrite Colosseum Challenge. He waited for his opponent to make her move. She seemed to have smirked from the rather gentlemanlike gesture of allowing ladies to go first, but regardless, she was eager to battle with two Poké Balls enlarged in her hands.

"Teddiursa and Jynx, let's go!"

"Sceptile and Tyranitar, I choose you!"

All four Pokémon came forth from their respective Poké Balls in bright bursts of white energy; Ash's powerful Pokémon seemed to tower over Resila's rather petite Pokémon. No matter what form their opponents took, Ash's team would treat them with the same integrity of a battle, evident from their determined expressions. Resila did not look worried from seeing what she was up against.

"Just because you selected big and scary Pokémon to intimidate little old me doesn't mean you win!" Resila declared, furrowing her brow rather arrogantly. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall! Jynx, use Blizzard on Sceptile! Teddiursa, Brick Break on his Tyranitar!" Her Pokémon were mobilized into action. Jynx took in a deep breath, spewing out a huge gale of frigid snowballs from her gaping lips.

"Teddi!" Teddiursa yelled, leaping overhead towards Tyranitar. Its little body's silhouette was outlined by the Colosseum's ceiling spotlight. "Ted-diiiii…!" The Little Bear Pokémon dove down, its right paw alight and shimmering with its energy.

"Sceptile, dodge and use Leaf Blade to protect Tyranitar!"

"Scep!" Sceptile grunted, narrowing his eyes upon the oncoming Blizzard to sense the perfect time for a successful evasion. "Scep-tile!" He impeccably somersaulted into the air; the cold wind carrying freezing snowballs barely touched the Forest Pokémon. His timing was perfect in the sense that he managed to intercept Teddiursa's path towards his partner.

"_Ur_!" Teddiursa yelped in fear, astonished by the looming Sceptile's sudden appearance in the air.

"Sceptile Scep," Sceptile sighed, knowing full well of the creature he was about to strike down with a powerful Leaf Blade radiating from his right wrist. _It can't be helped…_ His eyes jolted wide, ready to execute the command. "Scep-_tile_!" With a fierce war cry, Sceptile swung his Leaf Blade down upon Teddiursa's vulnerable cranium. The impact nearly made the Little Bear Pokémon's eyes roll behind its head.

"Teddiursa, please no!" Resila cried, horrified that her precious Pokémon was forcibly struck down and almost into a submissive concussion. Teddiursa landed with a plop, a small crater forming from its landing. Her panicking concern over her Teddiursa made her neglect Jynx's progress against a formidable portion of Tyranitar's Hidden Power. The luminescent spheres that Tyranitar had created earlier with a rather primal roar had combined into one greater attack, to which the Human Shape Pokémon attempted to push back with her bare hands.

"Jy… _nx_!" Jynx screamed as the power ultimately consumed her entire body, resulting in a grand explosion that startled the first few roars of the rowdy audience. Her tattered body was thrown aside from the blast, charred and covered in soot. She landed beside the crater that cradled her unconscious partner, Teddiursa, worn out from just one blast.

"Both Jynx and Teddiursa are unable to battle," the referee announced, cementing his final judgment with his arm and flag representing Ash's side raised high. "With Sceptile and Tyranitar remaining, the victory goes to Ash of Kanto's Pallet Town!"

Vicious cheers and jeers alike erupted from Pyrite Colosseum's wild audience. Ash waved back as a sign of respect and good sportsmanship, opting to celebrate the victory like he had always done in past competitions. Even when he was dealing with a crowd of a different color and background, he still displayed the same love and passion he always harbored for battling. As he glanced around to wave to the crowd, he noticed one particular individual in the front row waving back to him rather slyly. He briefly frowned, seeing D'ana act like the way she was seemed rather mocking, unlike the way Anabel had always cheered him on.

_I'll bring you back to your senses, Anabel; I promise,_ Ash thought with grim resolute marking his face. He watched as the Pyrite Mistress got out of her special front-row seat and left. Before long, he heard running footsteps approaching him; two more familiar people went to him.

"Ash, you have to know something," Silva warned, panting softly as he caught his breath. Before Ash could ask what was going on with him, Duking intervened with a raised hand, gesturing that he would be the one to shed light.

"Instead of waiting at the top of the tournament ladder like a Champion should, D'ana's also going to compete just like every other Trainer here," Duking explained, wiping the sweat off his widening forehead. "Now's a good time for you to see her new battling style and hopefully give you ideas on how to counter her when you both finally meet in battle."

"That doesn't make any sense at all," Ash said, confused. "Why would she expose herself like this and give others the advantage over her with knowledge of her Pokémon and strategies?"

"She said that there would be no point in waiting as she is already known by almost everyone here for her ruthless, domineering style," Silva answered. "You've practically heard this a lot by now, but you better be careful around her."

"This is going to be a _long_ tournament," Ash sighed, shrugging tiresomely.

* * *

**Well, I wanted to get this out of the way so that I can study without distraction. Of course, Christmas break isn't that far off, but I had a strong feeling to finish this chapter and update for now. Anyway, I might be able to get back on track during Christmas break, assuming I have nothing else to do. The semester's pretty much over for me aside from finals. Well, wish me luck…**

**Also, the opponents Ash will face during Pyrite Colosseum are the ones from **_**Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness**_**, just with different, evolved Pokémon since I found that thinking up characters that I'm probably never going to use again would be pointless. And as far as I am concerning Gonzap's appearance, I would say that he's changed after the events of the game. Plus, the side stories I'm building now will involve him, sooner or later, depending on how it will all work out in the end. Ah, well…**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback for this chapter is welcome. What are you thinking about now?**

**Ciao!**


	33. Bluff

**There's nothing much left for me to say except that even in during the holidays, I barely find time to write chapters. I'm just too busy recuperating for winter semester, but regardless, I do what I can.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**_ Street Performer Balton would like to battle!_

The third match of the first round was about to begin. The savage cheers and jeers of the Pyrite audience roared in a destructive chorus, singing without a care of the oncoming annihilation between the two clashing combatants. The factor that contributed to the majority of the audience's boisterous participation was mainly due to the fact that their cruel Champion had stepped off her throne to battle in the early rounds just like every other registered participant. D'ana stood smugly with her arms folded in front of her tight leather corset, watching her opponent, an amateur female magician clad in pink and blue, attempt to wear a façade of stable bravado.

"You think you can handle playing with the big girls now, street rat?" D'ana taunted, enlarging her two chosen Poké Balls in her velvet-gloved hand. "This is far out of your league, you know."

"Hey, I came here to give these people a good show and earn some cash to support myself," Balton retorted coolly, flicking her right wrist up and a Poké Ball rolled out of her long puffy sleeve. "Do you have any idea how hard life here in Pyrite Town is?! What else could I have been just to survive?" She wriggled her left wrist and out came another Poké Ball hidden up her sleeve. A charming smile formed, gracing her equally eager personality to progress further in life.

"I suppose that I can't understand what you've been through," D'ana replied in mock sympathy, smirking coldly at the young Street Performer. "Then again, I really don't care what you've been crying about, little girl." Balton silently fumed, quickly displacing her anger away in order to resume the path of her goals.

"I'm still going to give the crowd what they came for, a magical battle to wow their minds!" Balton declared. "Wailmer and Electrode, let's go!" With a rather elegant twirl of her arms, her Poké Balls disappeared from sight. Instead, two bright flashes of white energy came forth in their place, taking the forms of her respective assistants.

"If you insist then," D'ana shrugged with her distinguished aberrant smile ever present on her rather cute, but masked face. "Go, my pets!" From her Poké Balls, two Pokémon greatly familiar to Ash as he sat with the audience appeared onto the arena, yet their appearances were somehow different than before, at least to him.

"It's Espeon and Alakazam, but…," Ash gaped from the second row stands, being the first to immediately differentiate her two notably powerful Psychic Pokémon. _There's something off about them._

Silva and Duking, who were sitting next to him, glanced at him skeptically, but they figured that this circumstance was something only the young Aura Guardian could see for himself. They did not see anything strange with D'ana's Pokémon, considering that the only time they did see them in action was only during battle. However, Ash knew otherwise. While he also noted that both Espeon and Alakazam, two of Anabel's often used Pokémon, seemed well on the outside, he also saw the change in their demeanors through their sharper eyes. They seemed less friendly and approachable; their behavior while waiting for the match to start also indicated how they were a bit _too_ zealous to fight, considering that most Psychic Pokémon were considered level-headed and calm, even during the fiercest of battles.

"Ash, what do you see?" Silva inquired, wondering what the purpose of his intent analysis was supposed to yield. However, Ash made no response to indicate his awareness to his question, much less the wild yells of the raucous crowd around him. "Ash?"

_I don't understand; I don't understand at all,_ Ash thought, gazing upon the rather darker personalities of the two Psychic Pokémon on the field. _What's really making them like this?_ His auburn-colored eyes jolted wide open in shock as a thought raced in his mind, forcing his head to look in D'ana's direction. "Of course! It's got to be…"

"Got to be what?" Silva repeated, slightly irritated that Ash ignored him the first time. The young Aura Guardian finally noticed him, only to chuckle and grin sheepishly before resuming a serious tone.

"Let's just say that I solve a small puzzle I created in my head, which was kind of strange for me to do, but I needed to start somewhere," Ash began, his gaze focusing upon the battlefield. "You see, the moment D'ana brought out her Pokémon, I sensed that something strange happened to them. Their attitudes just scream out 'dark' and 'bad,' apparently following the example of their Trainer."

"Well, it _is_ true that captured Pokémon would adopt the characteristics of their human Trainer overtime," Silva stated wryly; Ash gave him a look. "Anyway, where are you going with this?"

"I know those Pokémon well enough that what D'ana is doing is wrong; this is _not_ them," Ash replied, his focus on Espeon and Alakazam sounding legitimately dire. "This can only mean, as far as I can remember about _her_…"

"Espeon, start with Quick Attack into Iron Tail on Electrode! Alakazam, Focus Punch on Wailmer!"

"_Fie…_!" Espeon hissed, the onset of her movements looked strained as a brief glint of red sparkled within her glaring eyes, to which the ruby gem on her forehead reacted somewhat violently to.

"Ala-_ka_!" Alakazam groaned, displaying a sort of reluctance in following commands that only Ash was able to pick out. The same red twinkle lit up in the Psi Pokémon's eyes before the rest of Alakazam's body movements became smoother. The rest of the Pyrite audience did not care much for the current well-being of the Pokémon; they were just out to see the best bloodbath to entertain their primal desires. Before another second passed, both of D'ana's Pokémon disappeared in a flash.

"What remarkable speed!" an audience member remarked in frightened awe, the rest of the audience following the example and quieted down to see the action. Espeon and Alakazam had reappeared next to Balton's astonished Pokémon within a blink of an eye, much to the Street Performer's fright.

"… She's somehow controlling them against their will," Ash mumbled through gritted teeth, having been grudging in admitting such a horrible truth. _But now, the question's how…_

"Do it!" D'ana growled as a demand, a wicked smile curling from her pale lips.

All together, Espeon and Alakazam used their viciously blunt attacks on their respective targets to cause much pain for their opponents. As for Ash, the entire show was like a black-and-white horror movie in slow motion. He first watched Espeon swing her Iron Tail into Electrode's side, the swift motion nearly gave the impression that her tail sliced the Ball Pokémon into two perfect halves, one half-sphere colored white with widened, lifeless eyes with the other half red with Electrode's gaping mouth. In reality, though, the force of Espeon's Iron Tail merely struck Electrode towards Alakazam and Wailmer's direction with the shattering impact driving the Ball Pokémon into unconsciousness.

As for the situation between Wailmer and Alakazam, the latter rigidly threw a mentally focused fist at the Ball Whale Pokémon. The Focus Punch had apparently struck a sensitive point somewhere on Wailmer's large, rotund body as the Ball Whale Pokémon bellowed in great anguish that somehow drowned out the rough shouts of the Pyrite crowd. Alakazam's accuracy was flawless; the Psi Pokémon discovered Wailmer's weak spot in no time flat.

"Whai-_Whai_…!" Wailmer groaned, its entire body trembling from the powerful attack before the momentum of Alakazam's Focus Punch forced it into a collision course with its double battle partner, an unconscious Electrode, also heading its way.

"Finish them off!"

Without another word, both of D'ana's Pokémon began charging energy for another attack. For Espeon, she formed a bright Zap Cannon in front of her mouth, the electromagnetic sphere crackling out of excessive static. Alakazam crossed both spoons and released a potent Focus Blast at the same time Espeon launched her attack. At the exact moment Electrode and Wailmer crashed into each other, their opponents' attacks harshly grazed the both of them from their backs before erupting into a grand explosion of black smoke and seismic aftershocks. The entire audience fell into shocked silence. Ash stood up, feeling the anxiety of remorse and possibly fear stir within his stomach; that or he was hopelessly famished. Either way, the last thing he and every other present individual within the Pyrite arena heard was the rising demented cackle from the Colosseum Mistress over the one-sided battle against a Street Performer awash in heartbroken tears.

* * *

"She didn't even give her opponent a chance to attack," Ash mused to himself. He sat alone on a flat rock outside the Pyrite Colosseum and near the chasm with Pikachu napping softly on his lap. "Not even Paul was _that _brutal in battle."

"Just goes to show you that all women can be considered troublesome when provoked or otherwise," a bored drawl commented, drawing Ash out of his thoughts. He recognized that familiar dull tone and the word often said in aforementioned tone, and upon turning his head up behind him, he discovered the same man dressed in cowboy attire and smoking a cigarette.

"Willie!" Ash exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and accidentally throwing Pikachu off his lap, much to the Mouse Pokémon's chagrin over his rude awakening. "What are you doing here? Why did you come to Pyrite Town?"

"Because I can, kid," Willie smirked, facing away from the young Aura Guardian and exhaled a puff of black nicotine. "Just so you know, I returned Houndoom to its rightful owner back in Phenac before comin' here. Justy was much obliged."

"I see, but what was your reason for coming here?"

"Like I said, kid; it's because I _can_," Willie repeated, following with a disgruntled sigh before sitting upon the rock Ash sat in. He looked upon his dulled cigarette, examining it carelessly with shifting calloused fingers. "Heh, this thing's goin' to be the death of me before any woman could finally do me in." A subtle release of his fingers and the cigarette fell onto the ground before being grounded by the flat tip of his left boot. "Have you found yer friend yet, Ash?"

"Unfortunately," Ash replied, resuming his seat next to the rather carefree Rider before allowing a fully awakened Pikachu back onto his lap. "If you saw that last match, then she was the one who won it."

"And by unnecessary force, from the looks of it," Willie added, leaning backwards on the rock with his arms supporting the arch made by his back as he gazed wistfully into the desert sky. "It just goes to show you, kid."

"Is that all you're going to do? Tell me about how all women can be troublesome?" Ash asked, sounding rather irritated from the Rider's repetitive, monotonous complaints.

"Actually, I'm also competin' in this here competition as well," Willie replied casually, to which Ash gave him a surprised and skeptic look. Willie briefly glanced at him before adding an indifferent shrug to his statement. "I was bored."

"Have you actually fought in the first round yet?"

"The match after yer girlfriend's, or ex-girlfriend's to be more precise, I was in it and won."

"Hold on a second…," Ash paused before looking up to the Rider with widened incredulity in his eyes. "How _long_ was I out here?"

"It don't matter to me who stays to watch or not just as long as I get somewhere," Willie affirmed lazily. "So really, you didn't miss out on anythin'. And the following first round battles have really gone downhill after you, the Mistress, and I have finished our battles, so there's no point to stay and watch like the rest of these bloodthirsty hicks."

"Still, I wish I could have seen you battle," Ash muttered, his tone sounding rather longing. Willie smiled and patted his young friend on the shoulder, sitting back up erect.

"Ash, if you really want to see me battle again, just make it to the finals and I can show you what I held back our previous scrap," Willie explained, smirking lightheartedly. "But then, there's still the matter of the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress to deal with."

"What do you mean?" Ash queried, sharing a bewildered expression with Pikachu as he had listened in to the conversation. "How do know all this stuff anyway?"

"Tournament bracket," Willie sighed rather irately. _I really hate havin' to repeat this stuff. Kid needs to actually use his brain more often than he knows._ He exhaled calmly and massaged the top bridge of his nose between his eyes before resuming his explanation. "I know it's a drag, but you should bother readin' tournament ladders more often so that you'd know who you're facin' later on in the tournament. It only takes simple common sense to—."

"Just get to the point," Ash frowned, rolling his eyes. Willie shrugged, knowing that it could not be helped with the young Aura Guardian.

"Anyway, if I somehow make it to the third round semifinals, I'd most likely wind up fighting D'ana. There's no doubt that she can make it far, but we'll see how far she can go toe-to-toe with me."

"That's… going to be hard," Ash began, but stopped after learning about the possible battle between D'ana and Willie. Moreover, he was more worried about what D'ana would do to the Rider than Willie taking his heroic stead and saving her instead of him. "She's become powerful and ruthless over the past few weeks. Do you think you'll stand a chance against her?"

"No," Willie replied quite bluntly, prompting an awkward trip for Ash and Pikachu onto the scorching rock ground. "But if I actually wrack my brain for my match against her, then who knows? I might just help you bring her back to humanity before you know it."

"I don't understand," Ash commented, lightly scratching the back of his head. Willie sighed, though it sounded more like a tired growl than a melancholic exhale.

"What. A. _Drag,_" Willie moaned, furiously shaking his head in extreme disbelief.

"What did I say?" Ash asked confusedly, shrugging innocently. "You know, your cowboy accent doesn't make things easier for me to understand." Pikachu also sighed in troublesome incredulity, though unlike Willie, he learned to deal with his best friend's past thickheaded relapses now and again.

* * *

"Shinx, I'm telling you again that we are _not_ lost!" Angie repeated, even though her prideful temper had gotten the best of her. She and Shinx somehow wandered into a maze of forest trees blanketed in a sort of suspicious thick fog. "Really, we didn't travel that far from Sunyshore City, so I'm sure that Lake Valor is still up ahead."

"Shin-Shinx," Shinx groaned. The Flash Pokémon was afraid that such a dilemma would happen after careful consideration of Angie's rather dull sense of direction. How they managed to reach Sunyshore City all the way from Solaceon Town for a simple errand was still a mystery to Shinx, even though Angie did not complain about their blessed safety in their travels.

"Hey! Are you lost?" a foreign voice intervened, the unfamiliarity only stressing the situation more for Angie and Shinx as though the new voice echoed within the mist-covered trees.

"W-Who's that? Who are you?!" Angie demanded, her tone austere yet her body was trembling in fear. The lower branches of a bunch of trees close together ruffled together; several leaves fell off tranquilly in spite of the palpable tension exuded from the Solaceon tomboy.

"Please, I mean you no harm," the silhouette emerging from between a pair of tree trunks spoke, revealing himself to be a mature man with slicked-black hair and a beige overcoat in addition to his suit and tie attire underneath. "I am called Looker. That is what they all call me."

"Uh, o-kay…?"

"It is dangerous to be out here by yourself, especially in this kind of predicament," Looker explained, keeping his eyes focused upon the lost pair of girl and Pokémon. "I know of a safe path through this forest, but you will have to trust me on this. I am a professional detective of the International Police and certified agent of the Pokémon G-Men." The detective was sincere if not rather suspicious simply because of his wardrobe, but due to his quick thinking, he showed his legitimate badges of him belonging to the aforementioned organizations. Angie and Shinx looked at them before exchanging a few blank looks, only to eventually agree upon having Looker guide them. _A subtle direct confrontation; why did you not choose this route, Mewtwo?_

_You can't just appear out of nowhere in front of someone and have them not suspect you of trickery,_ Mewtwo's dark voice echoed through their telepathic link. _It was, however, a smart move to reveal certain truths to support your credibility. Not bad for a weak human, though. Just bring her to me through her own free will by leading her safely through the Spring Path and to the Sendoff Spring, where everything will be explained to her, including her role to help save the world._

_Right…,_ Looker thought deprecatingly, placing a hand under his chin as he got into his pondering posture. _And how am I, a 'weak human' as he puts it, supposed to convince her to go to him?_

"Mr. Looker, is there something wrong?" Angie asked, momentarily breaking the International Police agent out of his contemplative reverie. "You said that you know a safe way out of this place. I don't care where as long as it can help me grasp my sense of direction and finally head home."

"Shinx Shinx," Shinx added with a confident smirk, blue static slowly discharging from its fur.

"And I've got Shinx's protection, so there are no worries as long as you help get us out," Angie surmised bluntly. Looker nodded, quickly noticing a sudden dour change in the young woman's mood. "We're desperate enough to trust you, Mr. Looker, but know that if you try to pull anything, we'll make you _regret_ it."

"Sh-inx," Shinx hissed in agreement.

"I will not take you two lightly, so do not take my words as a bluff," Looker replied cautiously. "However, it will take a couple of days or so to actually be free, so stay close to me." His temporary fear of Angie's wrath quickly subsided upon realizing that he really had nothing to worry about concerning their safety; he even knew that Mewtwo was practically watching over them as they spoke with his powerful psychic abilities, making sure that no real harm would befall them. _Come to think of it, the problem may start once they realize their role in your plan._

_Just leave that to me…,_ Mewtwo affirmed before the cold silence of the strange, fog-covered forest path took over.

* * *

_Two days later…_

Round three of the Pyrite Colosseum tournament had arrived. Despite the lengthy wait in between rounds, the Pyrite audience was still as wild as ever to see a battle to the death between present combatants. It was simple, after all, that the weaker Trainers were quickly eliminated without mercy or remorse while the strong survived. That principle was often implemented in many circumstances involving battles, and unfortunately, the Pokémon competitions held in Pyrite Town gravely take such a concept to heart. Even Ash had to deal with the savage and boisterous competition, but to the experienced Aura Guardian and Pokémon Master, they were basically all bark and no bite, which included his semifinal match against another Chaser named Jupex.

_She was a tough Trainer, even though her attitude really stunk,_ Ash thought, taking his usual seat within the unruly audience next to Silva and Duking as he recalled a few moments where his Hitmontop and recently exchanged Walrein quickly trounced her Granbull and Plusle. _The only battle that was the most difficult to handle at all was trying to explain to Professor Oak and the rest of my friends in Kanto and Johto on how Anabel became a twisted, dominating shadow of her former self._ Ash slightly winced to himself upon remembering how much his ears ached after listening to several scolding lectures from Brock, Gary, and Zoey, bearing distressing sobs from May and Dawn, and dealing angry complaints from the remaining guys over the videophone. Professor Oak did not even recite a poem that time, opting to let his friends "talk" to him instead.

"Still recovering from your hardest battle as of now?" Silva asked wryly. Ash merely glared at him; the young man also happened to have accompanied him in his calls.

"It's all in the past now," Ash sighed, briskly shaking his head to remove unwanted mental distractions of guilt. "I'm more worried about this last semifinal battle."

"Two of your friends duke it out and you can't determine who to root for?" Duking jested.

"Far from it. Willie and I aren't that close, and I'm afraid what D'ana will do to him _after_ the battle."

"Are you saying that Rider friend of yours may not have the possibility of winning?" Silva queried skeptically, aware of Ash's strong faith in friendships.

"Not even he knows if he'd stand a chance or not, but he simply told me to watch his battle _really _closely," Ash replied, his tone ending in solemn silence as he narrowed his eyes upon the battlefield. The last semifinal match was about to begin; the two combatants entered the arena and quickly took their spots, much to the impatient delight of the audience.

"Geez, why do _I_ have to be the only one to fight a lineup of girls the entire tournament?" Willie groaned to himself, suddenly feeling the need to smoke again in the middle of battle.

"Like watching wannabe Bodybuilder boys try to climb the tournament ladder isn't any better?" D'ana retorted sardonically. "Face it, cowboy. As long as _I_ rule, no man and his pride are safe from my domination!"

"Heh, I reckon that you itchin' to scrap with me now, especially since I know you have takin' a likin' to young Ash up there," Willie replied coolly, gesturing a thumb in Ash's direction in the audience. For only one moment, the Colosseum Mistress frowned from Willie's knowledge, but regained her sly smirk as she took out two Poké Balls from her frilly lavender skirt.

"You're in my way," D'ana sneered, her Poké Balls enlarged and ready to be thrown. Willie shrugged; the emotions of women were something he never really understood, or cared much about in that manner.

_Even in your own deluded way, you still love him,_ Willie thought, relaying this observation to the story of the breakup Ash told him about and Anabel's descent into darkness upon arriving to Pyrite Town. He closed his eyes, contemplating over his own progress and the motivation that brought him to the semifinals. _I don't know why, but I reckon it's because Ash's heartfelt story actually got to me that I'm off my lazy arse and in the middle of a troublesome battle. That kid sure is something else._ The roars of the unruly crowd sitting around the arena broke him out of his thoughts. His eyes jolted open, ready to initiate the semifinal battle himself. "Now, little missy! Draw!"

Willie snapped his wrist forward within a blink of an eye. Two Poké Balls spun at great velocity before releasing his Pokémon in a bright flash. The Rider smirked; no time was better than the present to reveal his reserved and more powerful Pokémon. One bright mass of energy took the form of a Slaking, who landed in the center of the battlefield with a quaking thud. Willie's second Pokémon took the shape of Stantler, its eye-catching antlers being the distinguishing factor.

"Slaking Slack!" Slaking bellowed with a characteristic beating of its large chest.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" D'ana remarked dryly upon Slaking's entrance. "So you were holding back the whole tournament by overusing Furret and Linoone, saving your big boys for the real battles." She smirked rather devilishly at the concept, much to Willie's irritation. "That's quite a deception you faked, considering that you look nothing more than an irresponsible piece of trash."

"An overlooked, but effective tactic," Willie explained simply. "The first attempt is always a fake out, a bluff to be exact; the second attack is real. Now choose yer Pokémon and draw!"

"Quite the passionate side you have defending a 'friend' you've known in a short time," D'ana muttered, still retaining a sadistic smile. "Go, my pets!" In a swift motion, the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress threw her Poké Balls straight forward with a spin, calling out another powerful pair of Pokémon from her team, Metagross and Shiftry.

"Ladies first," Willie offered as a jest, to which D'ana took him up on regardless.

"Whatever you're thinking about, cowboy, it won't work! Metagross, Zen Headbutt on Slaking! Shiftry, blow them all away with Leaf Storm!"

It was not news to Ash, but the scene when her Pokémon moved rigidly before attacking as a desperate form to rebel still tore at his heart. Metagross' robotic eyes were even redder than before and Shiftry's overall appearance spelled a lot more than just shifty; the Wicked Pokémon, through the eyes of the Pyrite populace attending the tournament, truly lived up to its species' name with its wild white mane and viciously crooked snarl. Even up to this point, Ash was unable to figure out how D'ana was able to assert such dominative control over her Pokémon, the bonds she formed as her former persona being his only lead.

"Met-aaaaa…!" Metagross roared, speeding forward obstinately to make up for lost time as its frontal metal hull, in other words its face, became coated with its own psychic power. Its target did not worry over the imminent attack, preferring to pick its nose idly as the audience jeered at its lethargic and rather unsanitary behavior.

"Stantler, use Shadow Ball on the Leaf Storm!"

Stantler swiftly galloped to the side, leaning its head down with its magnificent antlers directed at the oncoming stream of green, luminescent leaves. A dark purple blob of energy was centered between its antlers, its growth reacting with the brightness of the black orbs within Stantler's horns. Upon reaching its optimal size, the Big Horn Pokémon stomped forward and released the Shadow Ball into the Leaf Storm from the coordinates Willie had furtively relayed to it. The Shadow Ball burrowed into the vigorous wind current with no other effect visible.

"That's not strong enough to stop Shiftry's Shadow Ball," D'ana commented, scornfully glaring at him for the attempt.

"The problem with you villain-types is that you're so forgetful, it's just plain ignorance," Willie sighed, though it sounded more like an irritable groan. The Colosseum Mistress gave him a derisive look, not like it helped the situation at all anyway. "Missy, I reckon that you really did not take me seriously about my tactics. Typical."

"What are you complaining about now, cowboy?"

"Just shut up and watch," Willie snarled, pointing at the startling formation of a dark-glowing detonation within Shiftry's Leaf Storm. D'ana gaped as the Shadow Ball Willie's Stantler previously launched had fulfilled its hidden true purpose; rather than destroy and cancel out the Leaf Storm, it changed the powerful Grass attack's direction towards Metagross.

"ME-TA!" Metagross groaned, its own attack interrupted by the interception of its teammate's Leaf Storm. The Iron Leg Pokémon was captured in eye of the stream, unable to concentrate breaking free.

"How'd you like my bluff? Here comes my _real_ attack! Slaking, get off your behind and use Hammer Arm on Metagross! Stantler, prepare Skill Swap!"

"What the—?!" D'ana nearly swore, only to be interrupted by a shattering, strangely energetic roar from Slaking.

"Slak-_Slaking_!" Slaking bellowed, its powerful vitality gradually reanimating its every lazy muscle. The Lazy Pokémon leapt forward, making use of its arms in conjunction with its legs to boost its movement even further. Slaking's arms gave off bright energy, which only grew brighter the more it exercised the use of its thick arms. "Sla…!" Slaking jumped high above Metagross, who was still stunned from the Leaf Storm aftershocks, with its powering arms raised high above its head. "… _KING_!" With a mighty grunt, the Lazy Pokémon slammed its Hammer Arm, cleverly twisting the direction of its attack to throw Metagross towards Shiftry at a rate too improbable to counter. D'ana's Pokémon collided onto the ground, the impact significant enough to form a crater to cradle their exhausted bodies.

"It's kind of funny how things seem difficult because a feller sees it that way, but that's until things fall into place such as now," Willie mused, grinning lightheartedly. "Even I know this, but I still fear the future like any other feller. Maybe it's because I'd rather fear the future and have the ability to hope for a change than being able to predict the inevitable end."

"This is… not over!" D'ana hissed, her head bowed so that no one could see her face. Willie frowned; his tensed emotion called Slaking and Stantler back to his side.

"Stantler, use Skill Swap with Slaking _now_," Willie advised warily, an ominous feeling stirring within the pit of his stomach. Stantler nodded in compliance. The Big Horn Pokémon closed its eyes to focus on its immediate command. The black orbs in its antlers lit up with the rest of the structures following suit. Stantler's body was consumed in a colorless light, which had also engulfed Slaking entirely. The radiance consuming their bodies faded a few seconds after, the process of Skill Swap ending at that moment.

"Sla-king," Slaking grumbled, tensing its whole body in preparation for the dark counterattack the opponent had in store up her sleeve, or rather at another place. The portentous feeling it shared with Willie and Stantler suddenly came true upon a deafening crack echoing within the arena, which even silenced the rowdy Pyrite audience. Ash had the urge to reflexively stand up, but managed to control his apprehensiveness and held himself down to his seat; the experience and that sound were somehow familiar to him.

"I'm not done with you yet!" D'ana declared, having been revealed to have brought out a long brown whip. The right side of her skirt had fluttered down; she uncoiled that whip from her right thigh. Willie stepped back, frightful of the startling revelation, as did his Pokémon. The Colosseum Mistress cracked the whip again, this time on the ground behind her weakened Pokémon. "Get up! _Now_! As your Mistress _commands_ it!"

Almost mechanically, the damaged bodies of Shiftry and Metagross rose out from the crater. Their eyes reopened, yielding absolutely no life or possible sentience. They were colorless and cold, much like their Mistress' eyes. Unlike before where her Pokémon showed possible resistance when given a command, their bodies followed through without another thought. No matter how much harm or abuse their bodies have been through, Metagross and Shiftry looked like they were not about to leave in peace until their grim directive was accomplished.

"This almost never happened before," Silva stated. Ash and Pikachu glanced at him incredulously. "Never had she gone off the deep end like this, especially as early as the semifinals. She usually saves her best for last, claiming that finalists are the only ones who can 'satisfy' her."

"What are you trying to say?!" Ash demanded, gripping the young man by his shoulders, only to be calmly rebuffed by Duking, who merely shook his head disapprovingly. "Is it… too late?"

"No, there's still you, her only hope to regain humanity. Do what Willie told you and take careful note of the battle. At least with his clever strategies, you should have been able to analyze her new battle style thoroughly."

"I see," Ash mumbled, turning his head back to look upon the battlefield. D'ana's violent retaliation had brought Metagross and Alakazam out from the ground, pushing them further than anyone would have done, including Paul. "I really can't believe all this…"

"Never figured you were a BDSM type, missy," Willie commented, his left eye twitching rather comically.

"I just have a thing for whips, tight leather attire, and being the one on top," D'ana replied with a smile of poisoned innocence, playfully fiddling with the handle of her whip with her fingers. "Is that so… _wrong_?"

"The fact that I keep running into women with that kind of complex really made me come to the conclusion that they're all _troublesome_," Willie growled back, a blood vessel critically bulging from his left temple. "I reckoned that they just liked being bossy just to feel important in a relationship, but with bondage toys? That's just plain road kill!"

"Speaking of road kill…," D'ana began with an insidious smirk, raising her whip high. Willie's eyes widened long before she snapped it down on the ground. Upon the signal of that terrible resonance, Shiftry and Metagross took off as blurs. The speed of their insensible bodies was rather staggering. Even upon being seen again, they had moved into attack position from the sides of their opponents.

"ME-TA!" Metagross roared, its robotic growl reverberating as empty and unnatural. The Iron Leg Pokémon flew into another Zen Headbutt, harshly ramming its entire body into Stantler and sending in straight into a wall.

"Stantler, no!" Willie cried from helplessly watching his own Stantler thrown aside, only to be disturbed by another anguished groan of pain. He turned around and discovered Slaking trapped and tormented by Shiftry's Extrasensory, which was a rather ironic situation to be placed in considering how the Lazy Pokémon dealt with Metagross in a similar way. He glanced at D'ana, who merely smirked at the pain caused among the Pokémon. "That sadistic demon woman is startin' to get to me. Okay then, _now _I'm mad." He watched Slaking stumble back from the Extrasensory, standing before him as weakened and nearly beaten. Its fur was ruffled and messy. Stantler joined them after limping out of the wall. Its once glorious antlers were chipped and marred as a result of the battle, but not as far as to be discarded as useless.

"Well, cowboy? Aren't you going to come up with another strategy to bluff me before taking me down?" D'ana taunted, her troublesome cackle metaphorically rubbing the salt in both his and his Pokémon's wounds. "Or are you just going to back to sleep in a hay bale?"

"Stantler, use Hypnosis on her Pokémon," Willie commanded calmly, looking at the Big Horn Pokémon with hope in his dulled eyes. "We're endin' this as painlessly as possible."

With a quick affirmative grunt, Stantler concentrated upon the power within its damaged antlers. The illusion of two eyes it gave off started to distort the air around it, seemingly twisting the antlers' shape before everyone. The psychic distortion began to spread into a concentrated wave heading towards Metagross and Shiftry. The air around the two of them had distorted as well, yet they looked unaffected by the attempt. The Hypnosis stopped abruptly, only due to the fact that Stantler started to lay upon the ground in a lackluster manner as a result of receiving Slaking's Truant hindrance.

"That's not good," Ash muttered under his breath, sensing the increasing tensions within the arduous battle reach out to him. He felt distress just by breathing in the same air, but he knew he could not run away, not that he ever wanted to anyway. The experiences within the Pyrite Colosseum were truly bloody and gratuitous.

"Try a Confuse Ray, Stantler!"

"_Doh_…!" Stantler snorted angrily, standing back up baring its flat teeth as its antlers began to tremble. They were fortunate that D'ana had not called an attack, but it was most likely that she had actually begun to toy with them. The black orbs in Stantler's antlers radiated a sinister purple light this time. The two separate purple spheres quickly grew and merged into one, releasing a brilliant beam of the same color posthaste into the eyes of its opponents. D'ana smiled cruelly; Willie gaped and realized the futility of his feint attempts.

"Your tricks could only get you _so_ far, but now _I'm_ in control of these Pokémon!" D'ana proclaimed with a venomous smirk. "And being distracted by Hypnosis and Confuse Ray is not for them!"

"Stantler, enough," Willie quickly commanded, directing his attention towards Slaking, who was still eager to fight back. Though rising panic climbed up his throat, he swallowed it down long enough to get his final commands out. "Slaking, this is now an all-or-nothing. Our ploys can't get us farther than we are now, so it's up to you and yer brute strength to decide this bout once and for all. It's time to match her strength with ours, hear me?"

"Slack!" Slaking grunted with a nod, thumping its chest with a fist as a sign of its uninhibited fervor.

"Hammer Arm them into oblivion, and before nap time too!"

"Metagross! Shiftry! Finish them all off!"

The three of them charged in for one last stand. Stantler leapt in to offer its last assistance to its partner, whether as its shield or its counterattack. Willie sighed, knowing full well of the outcome before glancing at the astonished Aura Guardian's direction in the raging audience. He forced out as much of the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress' power as he could for Ash to comprehend, all to save the young woman he once cared about and who truly loved him more than anything. An explosion erupted from their Pokémon's ultimate collision; the stress of the battle drained Willie most of his energy, causing the Rider to collapse on his knees with a glum grin on his rugged face.

"And that's… checkmate," Willie exhaled quietly. The last semifinal match was over.

* * *

**Willie seemed to be too good of a one-time character to simply throw away, especially after all the effort I made into forming his own personality. So I guess he's now a recurring character of sorts in the **_**Stardom series**_**, much like Rui and Eagun. Anyway, as mentioned from his first appearance a few chapters back, his personality was based off of **_**Naruto**_** character, Shikamaru Nara, which was partly the reason why I kind of thought it would be bad to just kill Willie off. I also did my research and found out several more trivia helpful in making this chapter, which included possibly better Pokémon for Willie to have than the ones he already has from **_**Pokémon Colosseum**_** and **_**Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness**_**. By the way, Shikamaru really has an awesome theme song…**

**Well, this is my last chapter for 2009 and last chapter for the 2000s. Once 2010 happens, a lot of new experiences await for all of us. There might even be a greater change later on in the story, possibly greater than Anabel's change and rescue attempt, but I will save that for another day. Speaking of which, I wasn't sure if I should have added both battles in it, but now it's done. I wish you all luck in whatever you do as I will continue my studies and occasional writing.**

**I hope you will find the time to please review. What are your thoughts of this chapter?**

**Ciao!**

**And Happy New Year!**


	34. Grudge

**It took a while only because I've gotten even busier than before, and it's not just the workload that's got me occupied. I'm not going to say much on this next factor, but I've been a lot more social lately and been going on a few dates since the winter semester started; however, I'll leave that topic up to here and leave you all thinking. Ah ha ha… ha. So, if there's anything in particular that you manage to catch in my writing, you would know how it got there… Meh…**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**The tension that had been furiously built up from the rapturous explosion of destruction had bound the air so tightly that the usually rowdy audience of Pyrite citizens fell into a chilling silence. The final collision between Willie's uninhibited Slaking and D'ana's emotionless duo had left behind a thick haze of black smoke and trembling shockwaves that harshly blew across the wide arena. The western Rider had fallen on his knees from weary exhaustion, having used up his strength to endure the intense scenes within the semifinal battle. Not one who would go on exerting much effort into anything, especially into Pokémon battles, Willie grinned lazily to himself over his personal accomplishment.

"And that's… checkmate," Willie sighed out of the overbearing fatigue that bound his body, a dreary look shimmering in his faraway eyes as he felt his inner strength drain away from the critical excitement.

"For whom, exactly?" D'ana's voice taunted from the other side of the explosion's smoke. Willie glanced, watching the haze dissipate and three beings falling right out of the disappearing black cloud. Shiftry and Metagross robotically landed back on their feet, nothing more as much as to even look up. Willie suddenly gaped upon witnessing the third Pokémon falling flat on its large stomach with a tremendous thud.

"I never did say who," Willie retorted roughly through gritted teeth, feeling the pain of his Slaking lying unconscious right in front of him. _But now, who wins here?_ He glared back at the smirking Pyrite Colosseum Mistress, but felt another surge of astonishing fright and regret upon seeing Stantler limp towards its fallen comrade. The Rider's eyes had widened and his emotions began to betray him. "Stantler, no! _Wait_!"

"Here it is! The Silence of the Stantler!" D'ana mocked, lashing her whip forward and forcing her Pokémon to attack. Metagross and Shiftry went forward in silence, preparing to strike down the defenseless Stantler for the sake of their Mistress' sadistic amusement.

"That's enough!" Willie roared, his unusual anger reaching a fevered pitch as he stood up on one knee. D'ana raised a thin brow, but merely showed him a smile of poisoned honey. "I give up already! Stop this, you _troublesome_ she-demon!"

"Too late!" D'ana exclaimed with devilish glee. "Slaughter that Stantler, my pets!" Her savage command sent her Pokémon forward without restraint or morality; their only directive was to annihilate their opponent into oblivion as painfully as possible. Stantler showed no weakness, but fear attempted to paralyze its remaining mobile joints. Yet as the Big Horn Pokémon continued to limp towards the fallen Slaking, it had not noticed that two peculiar attacks flew right past it and into its relentless pursuers. One attack was a golden bolt of electricity paralyzing Metagross in its tracks while a vibrant blue sphere collided against Shiftry's face, the resulting volatile explosion forcing it back.

"Dang," Willie commented tediously, witnessing a Pikachu and a Lucario leaping in front of his injured Stantler in order to protect it from further ambushes. He smiled gloomily, slightly shifting his eyes over his left shoulder. "You sure know how to make an entrance, partner."

"I've seen these pointless violent battles one _too_ many," Ash replied, walking behind him with a hard expression of grim determination. "When my friends get involved, I won't stand for it any longer." The young Aura Guardian knelt down and helped Willie back on his feet, slinging the Rider's arm around his shoulder. Before anything else, Willie quickly recalled his Pokémon back into their Poké Balls, saving them from further suffering under D'ana's wrath.

"No need to care for a wretch like me," Willie mumbled in a hoarse rasp, straining to turn his head to face Ash as he placed his Poké Balls back on his belt. "Just place me by the corner of this here arena and put that troublesome woman in her place."

"She did nothing wrong; this was my fault anyway," Ash muttered, helping the Rider to the nearest corner of the battlefield shaped out by the decrepit walls of the audience stands. "I'm the reason she's here and the way she is now, and I'm here to correct this mistake and take her back with me." Out of the fearful murmurs spreading through the Pyrite audience, Ash could hear a low, gruff chuckling originating from Willie.

"You know, if I don't any better, you're finally thinkin' these things through. I reckon that a blind feller can see that even as twisted as your girl has become, she still loves you."

"Uh, what do you mean?" Ash asked absentmindedly. "I thought that her dark side wanted to rip me to pieces for breaking her heart. Isn't that what happened to you?"

_And… respect rescinded,_ Willie thought, exhaling a tiresome sigh that the young Aura Guardian still did not demonstrate the aptitude for realizing the true meaning behind the Pyrite Mistress' broken heart and cruel personality, even when presented before him. However, that was as far as the Rider knew personally. Soon enough, the two of them reached the corner of the Colosseum arena where Ash slowly allowed Willie to be set down to rest and recover from his ordeal. "Thanks for the help, for you and your Pokémon, kid."

"I'm going to stop her now. I can't let this go on because of a careless mistake."

Ash took a deep breath, calming his own anxious nerves from thinking about his inevitable fate. It had been a long time since he last faced her in a real battle instead of a simple practice battle. As far as he could remember, the only true battles he and Anabel had on opposing sides were the battles for the Ability Symbol back in the Kanto Battle Frontier. The first time he had faced her, he was foolishly unprepared for her in battle, which resulted in a rather devastating and humiliating loss. The loss, however, had taught him much that even at his most current point in life, Ash would still have a lot to learn about Pokémon. This ultimate adventure in the Orre region to stop Reverse-Cipher, save Giratina, and reconcile with his separated allies was no exception.

"Why so serious?" D'ana goaded lightheartedly, recoiling her whip onto the side of her skirt. "You really want to fight me this soon, Ashy-boy?"

"I was hoping that it wouldn't have to come to that," Ash muttered, walking into the chalk-drawn Trainer's box where Willie once stood. Pikachu and Lucario jumped back to his side, rejoining their Trainer until his next commands.

"I'd be actually happy to oblige since I was getting bored with your glum-faced cowboy friend anyway," D'ana smirked, recalling Metagross and Shiftry back into their Poké Balls while bringing out two new Poké Balls in her other hand. "I have the perfect pair to take you on, assuming you're going to stay with your two little heroes."

"I am," Ash proclaimed coolly, followed up with agreeing grunts from Pikachu and Lucario. _But who's she going to send out against them?_ From reading her insidious smirk, he believed that she might have been prepared to face him, whether it was after the battle with Willie or the next day. She merely held up the Poké Balls of her two mysterious Pokémon, taunting him with the lack of knowledge thereof as he tried to figure out her strategy. "Well, aren't you going to send them out?"

"Aren't you going to try and guess who they are first?" D'ana retorted, giggling wickedly to herself. "You seem to know a lot about me and we're facing each other for the first time on the battlefield… unless you want to call that night a while back our first fight." She finished up with a wink, inciting much of the raucous behavior from the audience over the dark, hidden meaning behind her words. Much to his chagrin, Ash's face lit up a scarlet red shade noticeable enough from the front row to holler rather naughty phrases over his predicament.

_I'm starting to think Willie's right,_ Ash thought, slowly regaining his mental composure. _Women are really troublesome…_

_

* * *

_"This isn't good! He's easily annihilating our army with only two Pokémon! And the _same_ two Pokémon at that!"

_Pow!_

_Thud!_

"Get a hold of yourself, soldier!" the other Reverse-Cipher Peon yelled, having retracted his fist after punching out his panicking comrade. He dourly looked back out at the front of the abandoned Shadow Pokémon Laboratory, which was now Reverse-Cipher's main-land relay station between Citadark Isle and the Reverse-Cipher Key Prison, witnessing in pitiful helplessness as the Peons' army of Mightyena and Golbat was easily decimated by a Honchkrow and a Claydol that belonged to one surly Trainer from a faraway land. _I thought that we could handle one stranger with just regular Pokémon. How wrong we were…_

"Is this all you lowlife losers got?" Paul demanded, his weary Pokémon slowly panting in front of him as they momentarily rested upon the sand. "For a big-shot criminal organization, your attempts to dispose of me were just plain pathetic." Honchkrow and Claydol quickly floated back up in the air, showing their eagerness to fight back against the cowardly soldiers of shadows with fierce glares all around.

"What did you expect?" a new, albeit younger and higher-pitched voice interrupted, much to the available Peons and Paul's surprise. "They're just a bunch of lowly Peons, at least according Uncle." Her voice seemed to have frightened the present Peons; curiosity had struck Paul as to their usually cowardly behavior. A short figure emerged from one of the entrances of the station, to which the Reverse-Cipher Peons quickly organized themselves into rows as for respect for this apparently higher-up individual.

"What in the…?" Paul muttered cynically, raising a brow upon realizing this ridiculous expectation of power that demanded complete obedience from the Peons. The figure turned out to be nothing more than a ten-year old girl with long, luxurious, rich chocolate brown hair that reached down to her thin hips and larger olive-green eyes. She wore a rather form-fitting white uniform, which had no doubt associated her with the organization. Paul was completely skeptical of this entire display. "What's a kid like you doing around here with this pathetic organization?"

"My name is Celeste Krystal Albertio, the youngest and cutest Reverse-Cipher Admin ever!" the young girl proclaimed, twirling around playfully with her silky brown hair floating aloft in her spin. Before long, her cheerful personality quickly disappeared, replaced with an attempted façade of anger. However, even attempting a frown, she was rather adorable. "And don't you dare call the organization Uncle Stein works hard for 'pathetic.' Crystal clear, you big bully?" Celeste's attempted frown fumbled into a strained smile as she tried to hold back her bubbly giggling. "Or should I say, _Krystal_ clear?"

"How pathetic," Paul muttered under his breath as the supposed Admin broke down into a fit of innocent giggles. The Reverse-Cipher Peons merely stood in their positions, their expressions completely unreadable as Celeste continued to laugh her head off. A thought suddenly jolted in the dark Trainer's mind. _Wait a minute… 'Uncle' Stein?_ Paul gritted his teeth furiously, his anger also radiating off through his Honchkrow and Claydol. _Little kid or not, I take absolutely no one lightly._

"Hey, smile now, Chuckles," Celeste teased, calming down after her laughing fit over her nonsensical pun after noticing Paul's violent scowl and his Pokémon's position to attack. "There _is_ a reason Uncle Stein allowed me to join his cool, awesome team."

"Hmph, and why's that?"

"I'm a prodigy! I inherited my awesome Pokémon battling skills from Mommy and Daddy!" Celeste cheered with a huge sunny smile, taking out a single Poké Ball. "I'll show you, meanie! Come on out, Milotic!" Out from the ten-year old Admin's Poké Ball emerged the breathtaking beautiful and serpentine-like Tender Pokémon. Out of all the qualities Paul immediately noted from Milotic upon her graceful appearance, her darkened, leering eyes had entirely caught his attention.

_Paul, do you feel that power from that Milotic?_ a dark, gruff voice asked within his mind.

_Let me guess, that's her Shadow Pokémon, right Darkrai?_ Paul inquired rather sardonically. _I've dealt with these before, so they'll be no problem from here on out._

_Maybe so, but even if you managed to free a Shadow Pokémon, what will you do then?_ Darkrai brought up. _You don't the means of purifying them, not unless you rejoin him again._

_He's better off doing whatever he wants with his little girlfriend,_ Paul replied in an exasperated sigh. _Besides, if I really need to purify them, I'll just go back to that Relic Stone in Agate Village. I'm sure that old man and his annoying granddaughter won't mind that I'm doing these Pokémon some justice._

_Suit yourself then,_ Darkrai concluded, retracting its presence back into the recesses of Paul's mind. The Veilstone Trainer focused his attention back to Celeste and her Milotic, who were apparently waiting for him to make the first move. They did not seem bothered by the wait.

"You can have the first move, mister," Celeste giggled, much to Paul's great irritation to her childish antics.

"You're going to regret that! Honchkrow, Sky Attack! Claydol, use Rapid Spin!"

"H-onch-_krow_!" Honchkrow shrilled, diving towards Milotic as its entire black-feathered body was engulfed in a potent white cloak of energy. Claydol hovered in right behind the Big Boss Pokémon, preparing to wind up its whole body.

"_Clay-lay-lay-lay-lay_!" Claydol buzzed, the intensity of its hum matching the increasingly spiraling power of its Rapid Spin as several grains of sand had somehow got caught in its spinning current. It remained behind Honchkrow, ready to support its comrade on their dual attack on the lone Milotic. Neither she nor Celeste looked worried at all despite the oncoming powerful attacks heading their way.

"Milotic, use Shadow Storm!"

"_Looooo…_!" Milotic crooned, though her song sounded rather forlorn instead of the usual cheery and uplifting tune. The Tender Pokémon lifted her tail up; the fanlike appendage conjured up a powerful purple twister that emanated the terrible black aura, giving it the dangerous power Reverse-Cipher sought after to increase with the manipulated use of the Pokérus. The condition of a Shadow Pokémon combined with the enhancing capabilities of the Pokémon had given the ShadowPokérus a fearsome, yet revered reputation within the criminal organization. In other words, the unfortunate Pokémon infected by the shadow virus would not only receive the soulless, uninhibited mindset of a Shadow Pokémon, but increased growth in abilities while being consumed in darkness.

The perfect example of the ShadowPokérus in action was Milotic, quickly exterminating the worn out Honchkrow and Claydol diving towards her with an easily conducted Shadow Storm. Paul's piercing black eyes had widened from the quick elimination over his Pokémon.

_Hmph, they were tired from battling those weaklings before; that's all,_ Paul berated himself mentally, recalling his fallen Pokémon back into their Poké Balls without another word.

"You're welcome to try again, mister," Celeste suggested, winking mischievously. "You can still two Pokémon if you think that would help against a prodigy like me." Her taunting youth and effortless attempt to knock back his Pokémon had greatly infuriated Paul. His pride and integrity as a Pokémon Trainer had finally reached another determining point and against a young girl seven years younger than him, for worse news.

"I will not be made a fool out of, hear me?" Paul growled threateningly, tightly gripping upon the Poké Ball of his next fighter. Energy discharge of black and crimson crackled from the fist clutching onto the Poké Ball. "If you want it Single-battle-styled, then it is fine by me. But I will _not_ be humiliated by the likes of a pathetic little girl like you!" He stretched his arm back for the throw, his temper slowly getting the better of him as Celeste's lighthearted challenges inadvertently insulted his will to battle with sheer, pure power. "Ursaring, stand by for _battle_!"

The Hibernator Pokémon emerged in a bright flash with a brutal temperament as ferocious and violent as its Trainer. Ursaring swung its arms up with claws outstretched, roaring furiously at the young female Admin and her Pokémon as a way to convey the vexed anger it shared with Paul towards Celeste's oblivious demeanor. It was palpable that Celeste was having much amusement in dealing with her surly opponent, but the youth and precociousness of a ten-year old like her was to spark some interest, if not annoyance.

"Ooh! A big, bad teddy bear for a big, bad bully," Celeste commented innocently; her rather cheeky comment had also nailed upon the Veilstone Trainer's last nerve. "Ursaring's a pretty good match for you, don't you think so too?"

"Shut it!" Paul shouted, startling and terrifying the young Reverse-Cipher Admin with the austerity of his voice. "Neither you nor your deranged uncle don't even know a single thing about real power. Ursaring, Focus Blast!"

"_Riiiiin…_!" Ursaring growled, slamming its paws together to form a concentrated sphere of its energy. The blue orb in its hands radiated its inner mental strength; the Hibernator Pokémon zealously lobbed the Focus Blast at Milotic within the same moment it charged its power.

"Milotic, use Shadow Retaliation!"

"Lo…!" Milotic hummed; upon thought, a shadowy silhouette created from her sinister black aura appeared and concealed the Tender Pokémon's entire body in darkness. Upon collision with Ursaring's Focus Blast, the latter was easily repelled back and was now coated with the same black aura that protected Milotic.

_Damn it, a Shadow version of Counter and Mirror Coat,_ Paul thought, his hardened face scowling at the rather ingenious, yet irksome ploy Celeste and her Milotic made. His temper was growing worse over the fact that a ten-year old was somehow countering his own power. "Bulk Up and then Hammer Arm! Go!"

"_Riiiiing_!" Ursaring bellowed, pushing through its current limitations to pull out more of its brute strength. A wispy blood-red aura exuded from the Hibernator Pokémon's body, its natural rage releasing more of its power. Before the rebounding Focus Blast had reached it, Ursaring slammed its powerful arms against the blue orb, dispersing the energy completely while being pushed slightly back from the enhanced power.

"Not a bad move," Celeste remarked thoughtfully. "But maybe if you controlled that temper of yours, you might actually stand a chance against me."

"It's this _temper_ of mine that will destroy you, foolish brat," Paul sneered spitefully, seething visibly for the Reverse-Cipher Peons lined up nearby to cower even more. "You think you're good enough to play with the big boys? Ursaring, Slash!"

"Milotic, another Shadow Storm!"

Milotic was quicker to the draw, conjuring up another black tornado from the fanlike scales on her tail to blast Ursaring squarely in the center of its gut. The Hibernator Pokémon was forced to land on its back; though exhausted against the power play against Milotic, Ursaring still had enough stamina to last longer in the battle. In the meanwhile, however, Paul stared in speechless astonishment on how a Shadow Pokémon that belonged to a child seven years his junior was easily leading him and Ursaring on like this.

* * *

_Pyrite Colosseum Mistress D'ana would like to battle!_

The Pyrite audience was nearly at a hushed silence, if not for the occasional apprehensive murmurs that continued to be whispered across rows. The final round of the Pyrite Colosseum tournament had arrived upon the insistence of both finalists. On one side on the battlefield, a young seventeen-year old man with a smooth dark befitting a legendary hero of the past over his casual red clothes stood tall and determined. His chosen Pokémon were Pikachu, his best friend, and a Lucario hatched and cared for up to his nature. His opponent in this final savage match was the least he would have ever suspected, a young woman of similar age he thought he would save by leaving her out of his hardships. Taken over by a dark and seductive personality, the young woman had yet to reveal her Pokémon for the final round.

"What say you that we'd make this battle a bit more _interesting_?" D'ana asked, slyly holding onto the Poké Balls of her unknown Pokémon in her hands.

"You mean, like a bet or something?" Ash suggested rather hesitantly. The Colosseum Mistress giggled darkly to his fear, but gave him an unreadable smirk.

"No, not like that at all, but if you _want _to anyway—."

"What was it that you want, D'ana?" Ash intervened, quickly deciding that the stakes were high enough for him as it was. Unnecessary risks have shown him how much he could have either won or lost in the past, but all he wanted now was to rescue Anabel, nothing more.

"An all-out brawl between both the participating Pokémon and the Trainers themselves to the bloody death," D'ana explained simply with a vicious grin. The concept itself had reminded the young Aura Guardian of his last battle against Paul in their last night together at Agate Village. He knew what the outcome was, and inwardly feared of what this kind of battle will do to the both of them now. Regardless, he would do anything to save her, and so with a grudging nod, he accepted the Mistress' additional rule. "You know, I saved myself for a real man, a worthy opponent, and I must say that you really fit the bill, little man. I'm all yours."

"What?"

"Go, my pets!"

The final battle of the Pyrite Colosseum tournament had begun upon D'ana sending out her Pokémon. The Poké Balls snapped opened, releasing in a bright white flash an Espeon and a Gallade, much to Ash and his team's shocking surprise. What was not too surprising, however, was to see that the expressions of both Espeon and Gallade were drained of emotion and under their Mistress' complete mental hold. However, Ash noticed that unlike before, Espeon seemed utterly devoid of morality or individual sentience back when she battled in the first rounds of the tournament.

_What has she done to them?_ Ash thought, a look of furious horror crossing his eyes. The young Aura Guardian took a quick glimpse of the opposing Pokémon's eyes; they were dull and lifeless in color, similar to that of a Shadow Pokémon for an appropriate comparison. Yet they were not infected with the virus he resolved to stop. He looked up to D'ana, whose cold lilac eyes behind the cat's-eye mask had still chilled him to the bone as a reminder of his greatest regret. They were powered up by her inner darkness, desperation out of shattering loneliness and abandonment. For him to finally be free of his mistake, Ash had to act now and bring her back. "I have to stop this now…"

"Pardon?" D'ana queried over his inaudible statement. She noticed how much he was raring to go, yet she had not comprehended his steadfast motivation for his reason to battle her. Then again, it was Ash who had repressed her memories of him with his own aura.

"I'm stopping you once and for all!" Ash declared. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Espeon! Lucario, use Metal Claw on Gallade!"

"Pika!" Pikachu grunted, leaping into action along with his partner as golden static discharged from his red cheeks. "Pika-chuuuuu!" A potent bolt of lightning was released from his small body, the concentrated golden current heading right towards Espeon. The Sun Pokémon merely stood in place, watching the oncoming Electric attack unresponsively.

"Destroy it with Zap Cannon!"

"_Fie…_!" Espeon shouted suddenly, a bright light in her eyes and gem taking on a vengeful glare. Almost immediately, the Zap Cannon had materialized in front of her mouth and launched at the same rate as was its appearance. The compact electrical sphere had managed to cut through the Thunderbolt current, rendering Pikachu's attack useless and the Mouse Pokémon himself susceptible to the Zap Cannon attack.

"Pikachu, fall back quickly!"

Pikachu calmed himself instead of panicking, following as instructed for a successful evasion of the Zap Cannon. As he leaned back and prepared to be earthbound, Pikachu watched Lucario's attempts at slashing Gallade with several Metal Claw swipes. The Blade Pokémon managed to avoid every strike fluidly despite being under D'ana's mental domination, much to the Aura Pokémon's impatient frustration.

"Lucario, switch to Bone Rush!"

"Rah!" Lucario grunted, dispelling the glowing tri-metal blades that had emerged from the individual spike on each wrist in exchange for a long, light green bonelike staff in his hands. "_Ruh_!" With a gruff step, the Aura Pokémon jumped forward to strike.

"Stop dog-boy with Psycho Cut!"

Gallade slowly held an arm up, straightforwardly blocking a strike from the Bone Rush. Lucario continued his heated assault several more times, each strike failing to harm the Blade Pokémon as he merely used his arms to deflect each hit. He did not use any other single muscle as they were unnecessary to do so. Gallade had not even uttered a single telepathic sound, aside from his natural voice box having been damaged long ago. It was also during fending off Lucario's Bone Rush that both edged blades on Gallade's arms had begun to light up and vibrate with his psychic energy. Swiftly within a blink on an eye, he swiped his right arm up and dismantled Lucario's aura staff.

"Rah?!" Lucario yelped in surprised, eyes widening at the sudden prospect of his attack easily demolished by one attack. In the moment of vulnerability, Gallade swiped his left psychic-bladed arm across the Aura Pokémon's chest, slicing across some of his fur and the bone spike protrusion on his chest. "Grrr…!" Despite having an extremely high threshold for pain as being part Steel-type, Lucario could not help but wince from the force of the Psycho Cut across his torso. It was not deep, but he had to keep in mind who or _what_ he was fighting against.

_This is going to be harder than I thought it would be,_ Ash thought, having been easily stressed from the beginning of the finals. He glanced at the Colosseum Mistress several meters across from him, smirking rather maliciously. _And D'ana and I haven't even begun to fight each other, according to her terms at least._ Lucario had taken suitable damage enough to consider his current opponent to be a real threat.

"Pika!" Pikachu's voice called out. Breaking out of his thoughts, Ash looked around and quickly discovered Pikachu back on the ground staring back at the emotionless Espeon, unscathed from the earlier attack. Both of his Pokémon were still in satisfactory condition, but then again, this was still the beginning of the end.

"We can't give up now," Ash muttered to himself, empowering his will to stand up and fight alongside his Pokémon. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Espeon!"

"Quick Attack right back at him!"

"Pika…!" Pikachu shouted, sprinting forward as a trail of light tailed him from behind due to his incredible speed. "PikaPikaPikaPikaPika…!" The Mouse Pokémon charged in readily, seeing the coerced Espeon coming in as well using her own Quick Attack. For a moment as he watched the distance close between him and the Sun Pokémon, a look of gloomy longing reflected off of Pikachu's round, shimmering black eyes. _I'm sorry it has come to this…_

Realizing that the deed must be done, Pikachu charged in faster than before, having not caught a narrow stream of pastel, emotionally blood-red tears pouring from Espeon's eyes.

* * *

**So yeah, Ash and Paul are really fighting against two tough chicks. Their fate will come the next chapter, I pretty much assure you. Here's a bit of trivia, just for fun. I wonder if you caught that small reference to _Silence of the Lamb_s; I might make another allusion to that insane, yet good-for-psychoanalysis film later. As for Celeste, she was introduced many chapters back as an OC Reverse-Cipher Admin, the daughter of former Cipher Admins Ein and Venus. Her last name, Albertio, comes from the famous Albert Einstein, where the names Ein and second OC, Stein, supposedly came from. Just in case you forgot or skipped over while reading **_**From Servant to Stardom**_** and the early sections of **_**Tale of Stardom**_**, Stein is Ein's secretly jealous twin brother with **_**two**_** long bangs of hair and an even crueler personality, nearly matching that of Ardos.**

**And as for Celeste's middle name, Krystal, well… Ah ha ha… ha. I think I should just leave it at that. Thank goodness for a holiday like Martin Luther King Jr. Day that most schools have the day off as far as I know, which was how I managed to catch up on writing this chapter among other things, but I digress. One last thing; would any of you who hadn't already visit my profile page and participate with the recent poll? It might give me a good place to start for the future once I sort out some last minute details. If you will, then thank you for the participation.  
**

**I hope you will find the time to please review. What are your thoughts of this chapter?**

**Ciao!**


	35. Snagged

**The reason why I quickly made this chapter and updated rather early is because the day I add this chapter, which is January 25, is the second birthday of my first story ever started and completed and is the main one of **_**the Stardom series**_**, **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**. So yeah, sing Happy Birthday to my first story, or not, but it is quite an accomplishment that I am proud of ever since I started. But I hope that this second story can surpass the accolades **_**From Servant to Stardom**_** had received back in 2009.**

**And also, two days prior, January 23, is my second anniversary of becoming a writer here on . Celebrate anyway! Ah ha ha… So many seconds going on in this short period of time…**

**And now, please enjoy this **_**second**_** part of the long-awaited battle…**

**

* * *

**Both sides of the colosseum arena were at a stalemate, yet the terrible conflict continued on beyond the wills of the two final combatants. The Trainers stood idly by, intently watching their Pokémon fight with such fervor and reckless abandon. As much as it pained him, Ash seethed silently while still trying to find a way to end the violence before things get out of hand. He noticed D'ana with a cold, unemotional, yet smug expression that has yet to be fully read entirely. In the meantime, Lucario and Gallade were currently in an exchange of Metal Claw swipes and Psycho Cut slashes, the collisions of their power screeching sharply upon each hit. Yet despite the display of raw power and determination the two fierce Pokémon had showed, the audience was somehow more drawn to the oncoming conflict between the young Aura Guardian's Pikachu and the Colosseum Mistress' Espeon as the distance between them closed upon their individual Quick Attack.

_Why has it come to this…?_ Pikachu thought sadly, feigning a neutral look in order to focus carrying out his command. Espeon, a fair Pokémon that he felt a sort of strong friendship with aside from Ash for some reason, was nearing closer and closer in less than a heartbeat. _I'm sorry._ The Mouse Pokémon quickly shook his head, clearing himself of all thoughts in order to resume battle properly. "Pika!" Pikachu took to the air with a grunt, about to crash skull first into the Sun Pokémon.

"Fie!" Espeon hissed, a shifty glint sparkling within her narrowed glare. Pikachu's eyes widened in astonishment as Espeon leapt even higher than he did and out of Pikachu's range. Espeon soon landed on one paw upon the ground, twisting her direction towards Pikachu and caught back up with her own Quick Attack. "Ei-_fie_!" In a purple blur, the Sun Pokémon roughly tackled into Pikachu, sending the poor Mouse Pokémon rolling in the dirt.

"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash called out, tension gripping onto panic.

"Chah…," Pikachu whimpered, lightly rubbing his sore backside where Espeon had harshly tackled him. While tending to his own insignificant pain, Pikachu had not noticed the approaching Espeon, whose fierce eyes where shimmering with painful red tears.

_I'm sorry, sweet Pikachu!_ Espeon's inner mind cried, her futile attempt at breaking out of her coerced mental control only resulting in emotional weeping. _I'm so sorry!_ Her body was still under D'ana's dominance, unable to stop bringing pain to others and herself until the Mistress would call her off. The real Sun Pokémon also knew of the suffering of her fellow teammates that were also forced to fight against their will, including the enigmatic Gallade. Though he was now considered a full member of the team, his previous allegiance with Ash made certain aspects about the Blade Pokémon completely unreadable to even both Alakazam and Metagross. What those aspects were, even Espeon never found out.

"Raaaaah!" Lucario growled, both of his Metal Claw strikes landing in a sharp standoff against Gallade. Gallade merely held them off with both blades with the same lackluster expression on his face. Lucario was easily frustrated at simply looking at the Blade Pokémon's passivity in being controlled against his will, his anger pushing his strength forward against the struggling Gallade. _I know you can hear my own thoughts, Psychic-type. I have yet to achieve telepathy through aura, but my power should be enough for you to plainly see with your own eyes. I mean, you're fighting against Ash, against your will. Open your own eyes! _ For a brief moment, a bright spark of color shone Gallade's scarlet eyes, his life and sentience breaking out.

_M… Master A-Ash…?!_ Gallade thought, his eyes widening and pupils dilating as a result of the mental variance for control over the body. _I… I…_ Gallade retracted back his bladed arms, breaking out of their stalemate as he clutched his entire head in severe pain. Mental sparks crackled around his cranium. His entire body shaking, he was unable to choose an action as his inner mind fought against D'ana's mental force. Lucario calmed down a bit, acknowledging the gradual sign of progress the Blade Pokémon was making in reclaiming authority over his body. He needed another push.

"Ruh! _Ruh_!" Lucario shouted, seizing the opportunity over Gallade's internal fight with multiple direct strikes with his newly formed Bone Rush. _That did the trick. He needs more help._ Gallade's steadfast will and the bond he once shared with Ash had made it so that his opponent had little difficulty at attacking him. The Blade Pokémon simply took on the strikes to the face silently, being knocked back and forth while stumbling from the numbing blows. _That's it. You've got to snap out of it, noble warrior._

"What in the world?!" D'ana hissed vehemently, witnessing in horrified astonishment that Gallade was effortlessly being overtaken by the Aura Pokémon's blunt attacks. "Gallade, get back in there and fight, soldier!" Her cold, pale eyes gleamed sinisterly; at the exact moment that Lucario was about to land a finishing blow with his aura staff, Gallade reflexively blocked the hit with a psychic-powered blade. The opposing powers had repelled and disarmed each other.

"Oh, no!" Ash grunted, surprised by the sudden change in battle. He had a small idea on how Gallade allowed himself to receive the beating from Lucario, but he still did not have true evidence to approve his dubious claim. He heard D'ana cackling from the other side, much to his worrisome chagrin.

"You know, I had a feeling that you and Lucario had something to do with Gallade's insolence, but I'm afraid it's still not enough to break him free," D'ana explained, a lascivious smirk slowly forming upon her lips. "I've gone _way_ deeper than your previous friendship with my soldier."

"Believe it or not, but I had nothing to do with Gallade's earlier defiance," Ash retorted heatedly. "Whatever it was that broke him free, I'll find it again and hopefully free _all_ of you." D'ana's smirk did not falter; she did not take his declaration seriously, which was not the reaction he had expected. "Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

"_Ru_…!" Lucario growled with a quick nod, immediately focusing upon his signature move within his hands stationed by his side. The volatile blue orb vibrated within the space between his hands, growing by each passing second under Lucario's intensive concentration. Sent back into mental submission, Gallade was forced to take a defensive, anticipatory stance as the Aura Pokémon prepared his attack a fair distance away. "_Rah_!" With a war grunt, Lucario threw his Aura Sphere center-on and aimed at Gallade's head. The Blade Pokémon took a preemptive action and held his left arm up in front of him vertically.

"Brick Break it right back at him!"

The Blade Pokémon wordlessly powered up his primary arm, his left blade glimmering steel white with his concentrated power. Gallade had swiftly brought his arm down upon the oncoming Aura Sphere, easily matching the vibrating energy orb in terms of power while using just enough to reflect the attack right back like a simple game of volleyball. The only differing factor within this particular match was that volleyed attacks were basically one step closer to defeat for the unfortunate victim. Lucario braced his arms in front of him upon receiving the redirected Aura Sphere. The attack exploded unceremoniously, tossing back the Aura Pokémon several feet along the ground as charred-black steam fizzled from his body.

"Lucario, get up!" Ash shouted, noting that the power of the reversed attack, although formidable in weakening Lucario due to type advantage factors, was still not enough to put the Aura Pokémon out of commission. Lucario slowly rose from the small crater created from the impact of his landing, showing palpable signs of his fatigue.

"Ru… Ru… Ru…," Lucario panted heavily, holding onto his somewhat limp left arm with his right hand as he stumbled forward in the arena to continue the battle.

"Lucario, can you still keep going?" Ash asked cautiously. Lucario curtly looked back at him, giving him a brief nod before looking straight forward at the lifeless-looking Gallade standing before him. Ash exhaled softly, the stress of the battle quickly draining his inner strength. "Man, this is getting too close for comfort." Before he could put himself into ease, a sharp cry of pain called out to him from within the battlefield.

"_Chah_!" Pikachu cried, having been ambushed and pinned under Espeon's paw. Lying on his back, the Mouse Pokémon struggled to get out of Espeon's hold, but the attempt merely proved futile as her paw held her entire body weight to keep him down. "Pikapi!"

"No! Pikachu!" Ash shouted, furious at the sudden development within the battle. "Use Thunderbo—What the…?!" Something had snapped and coiled around Ash's left arm, interrupting and preventing him from fully issuing out the command clearly for Pikachu's salvation. He discovered that a barbed whip had restrained his arm, the source coming from D'ana nearby. She had snuck her way to his side of the field, initiating the all-out brawl between the Pokémon _and_ the Trainers. The Colosseum Mistress coldly giggled as she continued to use her whip to restrict Ash's movement; the sharp barbs on her whip also pierced Ash's skin while the binding forced some of his blood to leak out from the wounds. "How did you get over there without anyone noticing you?!"

"This is a _Pokémon_ battle, which is why people would watch _Pokémon_ battling each other and not _humans_," D'ana explained with vicious enunciations to irk her victim even more. "And Espeon's move was a killer idea to use, especially since I was the one to give it to her in the first place."

"What?!"

With a wicked grin, the Pyrite Colosseum Mistress reeled in her catch with a sudden shift of her weight. Caught off guard from her trap, Ash was pulled in and entangled even more within her long whip. Ash felt even more stings from the barbed whip as it also coiled around his upper body. They were not sharp enough to pierce his body, but the irritation of being wrapped in them was slowly weakening his consciousness. Despite being rolled up on the ground on his back, his right arm and partially his left arm were free from bondage. Before he could attempt to stand back up, D'ana had brought down the sharpened heel of her boot onto his right hand, startling the snagged Aura Guardian as he screamed out in agonizing pain.

"Sorry about that, love, but we can't have you getting away until I've had my way with you," D'ana taunted, her tone singing in poisoned innocence. She grinded her foot upon Ash's hand with sadistic glee, her sharp heel causing him to shout in torment as wounds of the past started to slowly drive him into madness.

* * *

"Ursaring, Slash again!"

"_Riiiiing_!" Ursaring roared, storming forward to the serene, yet shifty Shadow Milotic that toyed with its brute strength. Both the Hibernator Pokémon's claws were sharpened and glowing brightly to the point that it would be possible to tear apart Milotic if she was a normal Pokémon.

"This is so much fun!" Celeste cheered, inciting another infuriated growl from Paul. "Milotic, give us a little dance to avoid the big, bad Pokémon!" With her inherent grace and agility, Milotic slithered about on the ground and confounded Ursaring with her erratic, eye-catching movements. Ursaring stopped coldly in its tracks, unable to discern where to attack. "Hee hee! Now give it a big hug!"

"Hammer Arm!"

"Riiiiin…!" Ursaring bellowed, raising its bulky arms up high in the air upon discovering Milotic's stationary location. Its garnered power within its arms gleamed underneath the bright rays of the Orre sun, burning as brightly as Ursaring's natural rage. The Hibernator Pokémon went forward to carry forth its Hammer Arm. "… Riiiiing—_Urah_?!" Ursaring was startled by the sudden snag of its arms by Milotic's tail; its momentary weakness allowed Milotic to wrap her entire body around Ursaring, limiting its movements while binding the breath out of it.

"Yay, Milotic!" Celeste exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. Paul remained unimpressed, yet his displeasure was gradually flaring out at unpredictable intervals.

"Bulk Up! Go!"

Under the heated command of its Trainer, Ursaring struggled heavily as its muscles were completely constricted by Milotic. With its remaining breaths, however, it managed to grow enough physical power to fight off the Tender Pokémon. Wispy red aura of anger emanated from the Hibernator Pokémon's body as it attempted to flex its arms out and break out of Milotic's hold. With a rumbling growl, Ursaring forcibly muscled Milotic right off of it; its temperament became crazed and unpredictable as a result of the struggle.

"That's not fair!" Celeste gasped, watching her Milotic thrown aside. Despite the forced release, though, Milotic barely had a scratch anywhere on her beautiful body.

"Tough! That's life, little girl," Paul sneered with a vicious snarl. "Slash!"

"_Riiiing_!" Ursaring roared violently, charging in with bright, sharpened claws towards the vulnerable Milotic. The Tender Pokémon lifted her head up, seeing the livid Ursaring stomping in and about to put in a noticeable dent in her scales.

"Milotic, Shadow Retaliation!"

"Lo!" Milotic grunted, her long body immediately highlighted in sinister black aura that gave her appearance such deadly beauty. The moment Ursaring's claws had touched her after she activated her vile counterattack, dark purple energy crackled from the friction in between them, resulting in a potent explosion that threw the Hibernator Pokémon high into the air before landing upon the ground in overwhelmed submission.

"Ursaring, return," Paul growled, recalling his unconscious Ursaring into its Poké Ball while he used his free hand to furiously search for a new Pokémon to fight with from his pockets. The fact that Ursaring was rendered unable to battle while the opponent remained on the field without a scratch nearly made the dark Trainer's temperament even more feverishly unstable than ever. "_Grrr…_ Aggron, stand by for _battle_!"

"Ag-gron!" Aggron bellowed upon emergence, landing upon the ground before Celeste and Milotic with quite a rumble.

"Hmm, the scarier your temper gets, the scarier your following Pokémon becomes," Celeste mused playfully; Paul notably fumed at her irrelevant logic. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon you'll send out once Aggron's out of the way. Let's find out! Milotic, use Shadow Storm!"

"Iron Defense!"

"Gron!" Aggron grunted, bracing its armored arms up in front as the bright sheen of its entire body lit up. Sunlight was even reflected off of Aggron's grey armor plating. The vicious black twister the Iron Armor Pokémon and its Trainer had anticipated had struck head on. "Ag-g-gron?!" However, the terrible power of condensed darkness had managed to lift Aggron several inches off the ground. The impact of the Shadow Storm left dark energy crackling on the Iron Armor Pokémon's arms.

"Now use Shadow Chill, Milotic!"

"What?!"

"_Lo_…!" Milotic yelled, gathering a concentration of ice energy in front of her mouth. The ice, however, was engulfed in the shady black aura as other Shadow moves before it. Otherwise known as the Shadow version of Ice Beam, the Tender Pokémon promptly fired the familiar attack and struck Aggron down with ease. The bright darkness covered Aggron entirely, freezing its entire body in a block of purple-shaded ice.

"But how?!" Paul snarled, fiercely taken back on how Aggron was quickly frozen without difficulty despite having the type advantage over Ice attacks.

"Using only Shadow attacks is getting boring, especially against non-Shadow Pokémon," Celeste commented, casually twirling a bang around her right index finger. "Let's mix things up with a Hyper Beam!"

Almost immediately upon hearing the attack, Milotic took the initiative and fired a bright orange beam of potent energy from the base of her gaping mouth at the frozen Aggron. The resulting explosion broke the Iron Armor Pokémon out of its dark icy prison while making it faint at the same time. Paul watched on in shock, incredulous over how quickly his Aggron was tossed aside and rendered unable to battle.

The battle experience with the young ten-year old Admin reminded slowly him of his grudge battle against Pyramid King Brandon a year to two ago, the man who had his older brother, Reggie, retire from his journey and whose loss became a starting point for his early captious philosophy on training Pokémon. Seeing that his brother was weak as his deceased parents was his breaking point, which had resulted in his previously complete change into a harsh, uncompromising Pokémon Trainer before he had met Ash. Back then, he did not consider himself weak as everyone else, like his family and Ash at one point. Once the charring steam had evaporated off of Aggron's dull body, Paul focused himself upon the cruel reality and promptly recalled it with a furious scowl on tow.

_You better not mess this one up, especially with the 'help' I'm about to give you,_ Paul thought upon glaring upon his next Poké Ball clenched within the palm of his fist. An opaque flame of black and crimson had completely surrounded the Poké Ball; the intensity of the dark flame grew with Paul's anger. "_Grrr…_ Magmortar, stand by for _battle_!"

"Mag… mortar!" Magmortar growled as its imposing, fiery presence was made before Milotic; its huge lips grinned at its opponent, much to Celeste's sudden fright.

"Okay, now _that_ Pokémon's just plain creepy!" Celeste remarked. "Also, why pick a Fire-type to battle a Water-type like Milotic? That just doesn't make sense?"

"You've already shown me Milotic's entire repertoire, and it doesn't include real Water-type attacks," Paul explained, an enigmatic smirk forming on his hard face. "This is where the true test of power between Pokémon will take place. Now Magmortar, Flamethrower!"

"Milotic, use Shadow Storm to stop it!"

"_Lo…_!" Milotic screeched, sweeping up another powerful black tornado from the glamorous scales from the tip of her tail. The Shadow move easily stopped Magmortar's oncoming Flamethrower in its tracks, but the collision of power had resulted in an explosion of purple haze that canceled out both attacks. The smoke remained at the center of the battle with both Magmortar and Milotic waiting on the outside from opposing sides.

"Now use Smog!"

"Mooooor…!" Magmortar bellowed, exhaling a thick lavender smoke from its mouth that quickly overtook the haze created from the previous explosion. The Smog had blanketed the entire field and Milotic by then, to which the idle Reverse-Cipher Peons frightfully fled the vicinity and back into the building of the relay station to avoid the dangerous battle taking place.

"Lo? Lo?" Milotic mused, glancing around as the Smog has gradually swallowed her. She soon felt the toxic power of Magmortar's attack slowly weakening her, but she managed to withstand being poisoned; that was not her main concern, however. The Tender Pokémon sensed another kind of secret power working its magic from within the Smog. Her heightened senses, as another result of the ShadowPokérus, had warned her to a stronger power that had mixed itself within the attack. "Lo…" Milotic suddenly felt drowsy for some strange reason, shaking her head and sweeping her tail around to clear the field of the strangely sleep-inducing Poison attack.

"Milotic, you're okay!" Celeste exclaimed happily. "That Smog didn't even doing a trick to you. You're still as healthy and beautiful as ever."

_That's not what I've been aiming for, foolish girl,_ Paul thought, smirking at her innocent false assumption. "Magmortar, propel yourself forward with Flamethrower!"

"Mag-mortar!" Magmortar bellowed, utilizing its arm cannons by aiming at the ground behind itself and used Flamethrower as a rocket boost. "Mortar…!" Flames were immediately ignited under a strong pressurized system as they erupted out of the cannons, allowing the Blast Pokémon adequate maneuverability as it made its way towards the waiting Milotic.

"Milotic, stop it with Shadow Storm!"

"Rock Tomb!"

"Mag!" Magmortar grunted, halting the stream of flames erupting out of its left arm cannon with a new purpose. It was redirected in front of it instead of behind. Purple spheres were soon launched out of the mouth of the cannon, materializing into medium-sized boulders that were dense and durable enough to survive against Milotic's Shadow Storm. The boulders the Blast Pokémon fired out in total had formed a wall sufficient enough to shield it from the critical concentration of power from the sinister twister.

"Now use Rock Tomb directly on Milotic!"

"Mag-mortar!" Magmortar bellowed, implementing the use of both arm cannons and began to rapidly fire more purple spheres at the Tender Pokémon.

In Milotic's eyes, she saw that the materializing boulders exuded the same chary energy she sensed from the Smog attack. If there were colors to describe that indiscernible feeling of dread, she would have seen black and red swirling together in each oncoming boulder. Unable to quickly react because of her earlier attack with Shadow Storm, Milotic had instead received the direct hits from Magmortar's suspicious Rock Tomb. The blunt strikes from the rocks had strange aftereffects; by strange, not only did Milotic feel rather heavy and slow from the loss of energy from each hit, but she also felt drowsy.

"Milo… _Milo…_," Milotic moaned, collapsing on the ground and fell fast asleep, much to Celeste's horrified surprise.

"What… What did you do to my precious Milotic, you big bully?!" Celeste screamed in outrage, flailing her arms in a furious tantrum. "Rock Tomb's _not_ supposed to make Pokémon _fall asleep_!"

"Hmph, what happened to your 'precious' Milotic goes beyond your understanding," Paul explained with a smug, triumphant smirk. A dark look gleamed in his piercing black eyes as the bangs hanging over his forehead floated aloft in Darkrai's power hidden away in his being. "Look closer to see what else is happening." Celeste fearfully did as she instructed, quickly noting with a horrified shock that Milotic was convulsing in pain on the ground and her expression was anything but peaceful.

"You _monster_! What'd you do to her?!"

"She's having a nightmare, that's all," Paul stated, his voice taking a brusque, intimidating edge. It was apparent to all Reverse-Cipher members present, which including the scared Celeste, that some mysterious dark power had taken over Paul. What the hiding Peons knew that Celeste had not been aware of was the power that one of the three young, heroic meddlers matched the description of the legendary Pitch-Black Pokémon, Darkrai. They were warned, but had little to combat against such a nightmare. "Now Magmortar, time to end this! _Lava Plume_!"

"_Mag…_!" Magmortar growled, its appearance taking a frightful appearance as the same fearsome power of black and red blazed from its towering body. The Blast Pokémon glared its eyes upon the sleeping, distressed Milotic, aiming its arm cannons solely upon her body. "_… Mortar_!" Magmortar had released a great fiery cloud of devastation upon the field from its cannons. The Lava Plume engulfed the field, even consuming the sleeping Tender Pokémon without hesitation.

"_NOOOO_!" Celeste cried at the top of her lungs, stomping her feet. "Milotic, _please_ wake up and teach this big cheater a lesson!" It would have taken a miracle for Milotic to wake up and survive the destruction laid upon Magmortar's Lava Plume; that, or she would have needed the endurance and darkness of the ShadowPokérus.

"_Milooooo…_!" Milotic's haunting cry echoed out of the blue from the Lava Plume wave, startling both Celeste and Paul. The Tender Pokémon had raised her head out of the fiery wreckage, looking somewhat unharmed and rather peeved at the abrupt awakening in addition to the savage nightmare she had earlier.

"There's _no_ _way_!" Paul shouted disbelievingly, eyes widening and teeth clenched in fury. "Milotic couldn't have easily survived _that_!"

"Yay! Time to show up that cheater that nothing can beat Uncle Stein's ShadowPokérus!" Celeste cheered eagerly. "Milotic, Shadow Retaliation!"

"_Lo…_!" Milotic yelled, using her exuded black aura to gather up the Lava Plume wave around her. The wispy, fiery cloud was swept up upon Milotic's vengeful beckoning; the sparkling red-orange flames danced around the Tender Pokémon like an unpredictable vortex.

"This is unreal," Paul muttered in a stunned whispered, having been forced as a witness to the ten-year old Admin's aptitude of battling and her Pokémon's incredible strength. "My will… Darkrai's power… she's able to redirect it… how…?" Milotic concentrated the blunt power of Magmortar's Lava Plume into a massive fireball, releasing it only a few seconds after it had reached its peak. The cracking, reflected fireball flew right into Magmortar, erupting into an enormous explosion and draining the last of the Blast Pokémon's ability to continue fighting back.

"Mag…," Magmortar groaned, falling onto its back with a huge thud with an exhausted, dazed look on its face. "… Mortar…!" Paul had promptly recalled the defeated Pokémon back, silent as always but with a horrified scowl.

_I can't believe Darkrai's power wasn't enough to put that Milotic down,_ Paul thought, looking at Magmortar's slightly scuffed Poké Ball before returning back into his pocket.

"Well? What's your last Pokémon like, mister?" Celeste asked playfully, giggling at Paul's frustration. The dark Trainer seethed even more at his annoying opponent, a fierce growl rumbling from the back of his throat.

"_Here_!" Paul roared, wrathfully throwing a strange, spherical object that seemed to have originated out of nowhere towards the direction of Milotic and Celeste. It had a pitch-black outline with a blood-red core. The velocity of the sphere was fast, but both Milotic and Celeste instinctively dove out of its way and evaded the mysterious dark orb.

"Hey! That wasn't a Poké Ball, you meanie cheater!" Celeste whined. "How many times are you going to break the rules?"

"Milo…!" Milotic hissed, taking up an apprehensive stance with her serpentine body.

"I could say the same thing about you and the rest of the pathetic members of Reverse-Cipher," Paul retorted coolly. "That ShadowPokérus of yours is a fake substitute for real power. Only through tapping into the inner strength of Pokémon can you achieve real victory." His expression hardened and his glare darkened. "And I've just had enough out of your little know-it-all mouth! You're only a ten-year old spoiled brat who's gotten lucky so far, but now I'm going to show you the truth of your pathetic ideals. _Grrr… _Torterra, stand by for _bat_—!"

"_Lo…_!"

"W-What the…?!" Paul swore, retracting his hand back after the surprise attack Milotic made with her Shadow Storm disarmed him of Torterra's Poké Ball. His final Poké Ball fell to the ground, remaining idle as a hiding Reverse-Cipher Peon was imprudent enough to swipe it. He felt the terrifying power of a Shadow Pokémon searing his hand. He had no visible burns or scars when the ominous black winds tore through his hand, yet it felt so numb and useless as he tried to move his fingers. _Is this how Ash felt when Houndoom burned his hand back at Phenac?_

"Milotic and I don't like it when opponents cheat," Celeste pouted, folding her arms across her flat chest. "It's a good thing Milotic's not afraid to punish the wrongdoers. I pretty much hate bad guys like you!"

"What…?" Paul mumbled, unknowingly being swarmed by the Peons he had once terrorized when he first discovered their relay station to their main headquarters off land. Taken by complete surprise, the Peons shouted various orders to restrain him and even managed to cuff his hands behind his back. "You pathetic losers are going to regret this! _Dark V_—Ugh!" For some strange reason, Paul was unable to call upon Darkrai's strength to defend himself, much less break out of his handcuffs.

"Our superiors did the research over you brats, immediately deducing what each of your individual powers came from so that we'd have a way to fight back," a haughty Reverse-Cipher Peon explained, approaching Paul in his pitiful state. "For instance, your main friend can somehow control some energy called 'aura' and somehow learned the technique to bond you and the other guy with the powers of the Legendary Pokémon, Darkrai and Cresselia. We know that you were bonded to Darkrai."

"Okay, but what does it have to do with why I can't fight now?" Paul demanded.

"Our leader took precautionary actions and sent a small squadron to find the right materials to help us counter your supernatural powers. Those handcuffs of yours were given power from real Lunar Wings found in the Sinnoh region; we used such material and infused them so that we'd have an easier time snagging you brats. And that's just one thing."

"Yeah? Well, you forgot one other thing."

"What's that, brat?"

_Bam!_

"Oof!" the Peon groaned, falling on his knees from receiving a rather punishing, straightforward kick to the stomach from the surly Veilstone Trainer himself.

"If you wanted to capture me, make sure that I can't fight back _at all_," Paul advised harshly, challenging the Peons that surrounded him to try to overtake him. "To hell with all of you, I'll pick you apart one by one without any Pokémon!"

The Peons began to charge in to avenge their fallen comrade, only to be kicked back even more. Despite being somewhat handicapped, Paul had trained his own body in many ways back at Iron Island for the past few months in case a situation like this ever occurred. He was still of strong build and quite athletic, evading every diving attempt each Peon tried and sending several roundhouse kicks to the face. Even without Pokémon, Paul had proven himself to truly be a force to be reckoned with. He had faired rather well against the large crowd of Reverse-Cipher Peons, only to feel a sharp sensation in between his legs, effectively ending his rampage and leaving his body sedate on the ground.

"I wonder why no one thought about doing this," Celeste mused curiously, retracting her tiny foot back as she walked in front of Paul's head. The remaining conscious Peons had quickly retreated back when their young Admin came into the picture and took out Paul herself. "Really, it's just that simple."

"I'm sorry to say, Miss Celeste, but there are some boundaries even _we_ wouldn't cross," a Peon answered somewhat fearfully, to which the others nodded vigorously as they strangely covered their groins with their hands as well. "How do you even know this anyway?"

"I'm a genius prodigy, so I should know everything," Celeste shrugged, recalling her Milotic without further notice. "Now I think that Uncle Stein wants the very bad guys to be locked up in the Reverse-Cipher Key Prison. Can you guys do that?"

"Uh, sure thing, Miss Celeste," the same Peon replied. He and his fellow soldiers hurriedly followed their small directive and carried off Paul's limp body into the right entrance of the relay station, where the transporter to the Key Prison was located. At the meantime, Celeste skipped and danced around in the front area of the relay station, blissfully singing random music notes.

"Yay! Uncle Stein will be _so_ proud! I snagged a bad person for him!"

* * *

"You do realize that you're the first guy I get to have some _real_ fun with," D'ana purred, playfully grinding her foot deeper into Ash's hand and forcing more blood to leak out from his wound.

"Boy, aren't I a lucky one?" Ash groaned sarcastically, struggling to break out of D'ana's barbed whip. His movements only resulted in several more scratches around his body where the whip bound him upon.

"You should feel privileged, Ashy-boy," D'ana concurred with a knowing smirk, kneeling down to speak to him at a closer level while having her sharp heel continue to pin down his right hand. "For some time after the moment I first saw you, let's just say that I got a crush on you." Ash's eyes widened as though something in his mind had finally connected only because the obvious was presented before himself.

_Was this what Willie meant when Anabel still loves me?_ Ash thought, straining to keep his cool.

"I didn't know why I was attracted to you, but I figured that it must have finally been time for me to get a real man," D'ana explained, giggling quietly with a rather maddening pitch. "So now it's time for me to break this crush and make this attraction real." Before anything else, Ash slowly glanced into the battlefield where Pikachu was still trapped by Espeon while Lucario and Gallade fought each other in ordinary physical combat, independent of their Trainer's guidance.

"And… how are you going to try it then?" Ash muttered, looking back at D'ana as she insidiously knelt her head even closer to his.

"You can become my king," D'ana whispered lasciviously into his ear with her sensual warm breath, momentarily touching the tip of his earlobe with her tongue. Her chilling laughter shivered down Ash's spine as he felt a strangely warm sensation near his upper lip. He had no idea what was going on; he preferred to trying to get out of his currently dire predicament more than anything else right now. "Oh, my… Is it just me or were you excited by the idea so much that you just had a nosebleed?"

_My body!_ Ash thought, struggling even more and not caring what would happen as long as the ominous inevitable would not take place before his escape. D'ana laughed wickedly at his squirms as she stood back up at full height, amused by it all.

"Oh? Perhaps you need a queen to show you your place first," D'ana cackled, only to stop abruptly when a vibrating blue light shone from underneath her. She quickly looked down to see Ash's bloody left arm free from her whip, resonating an Aura Sphere from the palm of his hand. "What is this?! Bad boy!"

"Something I should have done!" Ash shouted, releasing the Aura Sphere right into D'ana's surprised face. The Aura Sphere merely bounced off her head, knocking her off on top of him while slightly incinerating her mask upon contact. The cat's-eye mask fell right off, revealing her once innocent, true face to the outside. She fell to the ground with a light thud; the power of Ash's Aura Sphere was enough to render her unconscious for a certain time period. At the same time she fell, the rest of her Pokémon suddenly blanked out and collapsed onto the ground for Pikachu and Lucario to tend to.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted upon realizing the outcome, having escaped from under Espeon and examining the Sun Pokémon to be as cataleptic as her Trainer.

Ash sat up and looked up his right hand where D'ana had stomped upon it so callously. It felt like it was punctured as a steady blood flow leaked out from where her heel had pierced him. He looked upon that hand, briefly recalling a few memories back on how it was burned by Houndoom's Shadow Fire back in Phenac City up to the point when Anabel healed the unpleasant burns with her own gentle touch and Cresselia's power.

"Wait a minute… What happened to Cresselia?" Ash mused to himself; something had still seemed rather out of place to him.

"Ash, it's time for you to make your escape!" Silva yelled from the audience stands. "Take her with you and don't look back!" Restless dissention slowly sowed itself within the rowdy Pyrite crowd as they murmured how the battle should not be over yet until a winner was decided. They were definitely a bloodthirsty lot, which definitely solidified the fact that Pyrite Town was not a good place for good influences. Breaking out of the barbed whip and standing back on his own two feet, Ash gave Silva and Duking the quickest of nods before taking up Anabel's inert body in his arms.

"Guys, let's go!" Ash called out to his Pokémon. He saw that Lucario was gathering both Gallade and Espeon in his arms with Pikachu running along right beside him. They managed to catch up to their Trainer despite their earlier wounds in battle. In times of crisis, their true power was released.

"Hey! Where does he think he's going?!" a muscular audience member demanded.

"He can't do that!" another voice concurred aggressively.

"That's no way to end a tournament!"

"Let's get him!" a third audience member exclaimed, followed by the savage roar of the audience attempting to storm down into the arena to stop Ash.

Several of the Pyrite audience members made it down the walls as the young Aura Guardian and his Pokémon sprinted towards the exit. Before they could have advanced even more, however, two large shadows slithered along the ground; the mystery of the shadows caused the crowd to stop in their tracks. The two dark shadows swirled along ground in simultaneous, symmetric patterns, coming to a stop at the exact same time next to each other. Before long, a Banette and a Stantler emerged from the two shadows that the people feared because of the ambush.

"Didn't expect for me to step in, did ya?" a lazy voice inquired, chuckling dryly at the unintelligent attempts of the unruly crowd. They all turned around and discovered Willie leaning against a wall for support.

"Hey! There's no way that you or that Stantler of yours should be standing after what happened earlier!" one of the crowd members pointed out heatedly, followed by shouted agreements.

"Heh, a Pokémon Trainer should always come prepared," Willie explained, holding up what seemed to be a green medicine spray in one hand and a diamond-shaped tablet in his other hand. The Rider mildly winced from his earlier wounds, but still managed to stand strong. "Full Restores and Revives always makes me a happy feller. That's why Stantler's up and well."

"But then how was it able to travel in the shadows?" the same moron retorted. "That's not possible for Stantler to do!"

"Man, you're annoying," Willie groaned, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Just shut up and listen closely because repeating this again would just be troublesome. My Banette knew the move Shadow Sneak, first off. Then I had Stantler use Mimic to copy Shadow Sneak, which allowed both Pokémon to overtake you idiots. Simply put, I'm not goin' to let you fellers get to Ash as long as I'm still standin'."

"Well then, that can be arranged, cowboy," a new Pyrite audience member suggested, pounding his fists together as he and the rest of the crowd began to approach the vulnerable Rider. "And by the way, _you_ are the real idiot for allowing your Pokémon away from you."

"And yet you folks are the _true _idiots around here!" a hefty voice bellowed, the imposing tone echoing within Pyrite Colosseum. "Skarmory, use Spikes!" Much to everyone's great surprise, a Skarmory flew overhead and with a strong flap of its pristine wings, the Armor Bird Pokémon released a gust of silver spiked stars that had completely surrounded the boisterous audience in a circle. With the surrounding Spikes all around them, the crowd was unable to advance further to Willie or anywhere else.

"Who's the idiot who did this?!" the same reckless man growled.

"The same idiot that called us all 'true idiots,' you idiot!" his friend retorted, smacking him upside the head.

"Will ya'll stop overusin' the word 'idiot'?!" Willie growled, sliding down the wall and onto his behind in exhaustion. "I'm gettin' a troublesome headache because of you idiots."

"You just used the word 'idiot' just now, idiot!"

"Shut it already!"

"Don't worry, Willie; this is as far as Pyrite Town's going as long as we're in charge," Silva announced. The young man walked into the center arena along with Duking and the Pyrite Colosseum receptionist, Gonzap, whose Skarmory was able to control the crowd as efficiently and harmlessly as possible.

"You know, we couldn't have done this without you, Gonzap," Duking commented, roughly patting the reformed muscular man on the shoulder. "I swear that the audience gets crazier with every tournament."

"I wouldn't really know," Gonzap shrugged his bulging biceps. "I'm just the receptionist that registers the competitors you enlisted is all. However, you have my past experiences as a ruthless thief to thank for my crowd control skills."

"Regardless, fear has still made its way and succeeded into nearly turning all of us against each other," Silva added, having gone and helped Silva off the ground. He walked alongside the dull Rider with his arm draped around his shoulder back to Duking and Gonzap. "Fear of the day Reverse-Cipher blocks out the sun, I just hope Ash can succeed in finding his friends in time for their teamwork to triumph."

* * *

**And there you have it. I wanted to make this update just so that I can get you all aware of these somewhat significant days. My second author anniversary had passed already, but I made up for it by spending the majority of my spare time writing this chapter. I had nothing else planned, so not to worry. Like I said earlier, this day I add this, January 25, is the birthday of **_**From Servant to Stardom**_** and the beginning of the **_**Stardom series**_**. I hope you can give it the proper respect if you can; I'm not forcing you to, though. I'm simply letting you know.**

**So now, what have we learned from this chapter? Though Ash has Anabel back, her rescue is still not over yet. As for Paul… Hmm, how should I put this in layman's terms?** **Well, simply put, he was owned by an innocent, precocious, bubbly little girl in both battling and a casual kick to the 'nads. You could probably guess what will happen next in the plot, but for now, focus on the present once the real Anabel actually reawakens.**

**I hope you will find time to please review. What are your thoughts on this chapter?**

**Ciao! **


	36. Regrets

**Well, there's another birthday to celebrate and it's this story's birthday this time. February 6 was when **_**Tale of Stardom**_**, sequel to **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**, was first published on the site. Now let's take a moment to celebrate this story's first birthday…**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**"_We'll be boarding Vermilion City within a moment, ladies and gentlemen,_ _so be sure to prepare your belongings and hang on for a while longer,_" the captain's suave voice over the ship's PA system echoed across the deck and to the rather quiet port city. The ship had let out a long foghorn blare to alert the crew in preparations for docking at Vermilion City. The process itself was easy, if not rushed, for the various burly worker clad in white and blue sailor outfits and their assisting Machop, Machoke, and Machamp. "_We've arrived at our destination. Please leave with only items belonging to you as we won't be held responsible for any items left behind. And now as captain of this ship, we hope you enjoyed your travels under the S.S. Aqua. Feel free to use us again for your travels across regions._"

"Why don't you give it a rest already, old man?" a dark voice muttered, walking within line among the passengers parting from the ship. "It's not like things will get better any time soon, at least that's what I believe." He briefly sighed in irritation from the minor headache he received over the booming loudspeaker, rubbing his forehead with one hand as he made his way down the bridge. There were less people than expected, but he considered that the fact that the world was still in danger of a shadow beast suddenly coming up and swallowing the entire Kanto region whole had still existed. He was well aware of it; in fact, it was one of the many reasons he made his way to Kanto to find a certain expert that was behind such a monstrosity.

"Wait up, Kamon!"

_Damn it!_

Before the cryptic, red-haired individual could have escaped from the ship and Vermilion City entirely, Kamon's temporary companion from the Johto region managed to catch up to him. She ran down the bridge, hurrying to his side before he knew it. He was hoping to do his business alone, but he recalled the dilemma he was previously placed in just for him to travel to the Kanto region in peace.

"Kamon, there you are!" May huffed, slightly upset that he nearly left without her. Kamon spared her a tiresome glance. "You should've known better than to just ditch me within a crowd of tourists."

"There weren't that many people on that boat anyway," Kamon replied, rolling his eyes dryly just for her. "Explain to me why _you_ have to come along for the ride. I'm capable of taking care of myself since I've been self-reliant for most of my life, so I don't need anyone, especially you, to look after me like I'm some sort of helpless child."

"That's _not_ the reason why I came with you!" May retorted heatedly, literally fuming out of her ears. "I even had to leave Max in the care of my friends just for the good of our group."

"_Our_ group…?"

"Oh, come on!" May cried, pouting. "You don't even remember the discussion we had back at Olivine City?"

"I remember," Kamon sighed, looking away from her in vexed impatience. "Unfortunately…"

* * *

"_Olivine City! We made it!" Max exclaimed. The Johto group had finally advanced into the famous Johto city with a lighthouse as a huge landmark that saved many lives. May smiled at her little brother's enthusiasm, Kenny and Dawn looked around in awe of their newest discoveries together in the Johto region, Barry was frantically searching for the Olivine City Gym for a good battle, and Kamon, ever the black Mareep and lone Mightyena by choice, remained impassive over his past memories of traveling Johto._

"_It's not that big of a deal; this place was kind of plain and boring to me anyway," Kamon spoke out, much to the other's disappointment to his dark negativity. He began to trek forward into the city without facing anyone. "I'll see you all around."_

"_Hold it!" Dawn demanded, grabbing the back of Kamon's red hair, much to his extreme displeasure. "We can't have a delinquent like you running loose in the streets doing who-knows-what."_

"_Ex-delinquent," Kamon corrected curtly, slapping her hand off of his hair. Dawn recoiled her hand in anguish, rubbing the temporary sore spot the angst-ridden Trainer struck at. "Look, I told you all already that I've changed for the better. I treat my Pokémon better. I'm less rude to people. I even have to hold smiles every time you warranted me, even though I die a little inside each time. What more do you want from me?"_

"_If you have changed as much as you said, then why do you still have that horrible personality?" Max inquired. "It's like you're Paul or something!" Before anything else could have been said, Kamon violently reached out and grabbed Max by the collar of his shirt, hosting the younger Trainer up to his level._

"_I thought I told you to drop that subject," Kamon snarled darkly, creating as much discomfort for the young know-it-all squirming for air until Kenny and Barry were forced to pull them apart, which was mainly ganging on Kamon in order to get him to let go of Max's neck._

"_Well for one reason or another, you aren't really subtle or sincere when dealing with other people, Kamon," Kenny explained bluntly, slightly rubbing the side of his neck as though it had been through some sore experience._

"_And you have a really violent temper, too!" Barry added. "I think I still have that bruise on my head from when I tried to fine you when you gave me another bruise before that when I tried to… Wait, what was I talking about again?"_

"_That I need some time to get away from it all and that whatever I'm up to is no one's business," Kamon declared austerely upon turning his back to them, his sharp tone intimidating the skittish group. "I'll see you when I see you."_

"_Wait!" May intervened before Kamon made his first step forward. The aggravated Trainer turned around to see an even angrier brunette Coordinator glaring outright at him. "After what you did to Max, I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily."_

"_Don't try me," Kamon advised coolly. "Even if it was all of you against me, I'd still wipe the floor with all of you without breaking a sweat."_

"_Maybe you can," May sighed, abruptly calming down much to Kamon and everyone's surprise. "But I'm still not going to let you go without an explanation of what your plans are." The others quickly nodded in equal concurrence. Kamon had casually shrugged as though he was unaffected by the unanimous decision, but he would sooner lose to them than lose to his own pride on how much he had reformed from the coldhearted bad boy he once was._

"_Okay then, fine," Kamon grumbled, gesturing the others to come closer while showing that he would not mean any harm to them. As the others warily approached the red-headed Trainer, he folded his arms and glared at each one of them, from May to Barry. "Listen well because I really hate repeating myself. I'm going on the next boat to the Kanto region and tie up some unfinished business concerning my father's surviving underling."_

"_Then what? Conquer the weakened Kanto region in the glorious name of Team Rocket together?" Max jested before having his head forcibly shoved down into the earth by his own sister._

"_Max, show some respect!" May scolded harshly._

"_Okay! Okay! Sorry!"_

"_As I was saying, I will be arriving in Vermilion City as part of the destination of one of Olivine's ships," Kamon explained indifferently. "From there, I'm going to Pallet Town to settle some last business with Namba."_

"_Why are you doing this now?" Kenny asked._

"_I've been putting this off for too long," Kamon replied, straight-faced. "Consider the family business completely dead. The pathetic Team Rocket will end with me now that my bastard of a father is now dead to the entire world because of his own utter stupidity and weakness and Namba completely helpless."_

"_Kamon, you shouldn't do something so reckless!" Dawn warned with such a look of shock on her young face._

"_Dawn's right, you know," May concurred, an invisible, peculiar wave of concern strangely washing right through her body. "We'll still need your power and expertise to help us plow through Shadow Pokémon along the way to Cianwood City and that includes the Whirl Islands."_

"_I swear you still need me to hold your hand for dealing with Pokémon that contracted my father's pathetic mistake in combination with Reverse-Cipher?" Kamon smirked in arrogance. "If you want me to come back, just tail me to make sure I do come back." It was unfortunate for him, though, that his scathing sarcasm remained undetectable for the most part._

"_Great idea!" May exclaimed suddenly; Kamon's eyes widened in shock. "I'll be the one to follow you. After all…" She leaned in close to the dark Trainer that was sheepishly trying to back away from the extreme close-up, grinning rather sinisterly. "You hurt my brother and I'm going to make sure you pay us back… with interest."_

"_I've really got to learn to shut my trap,"_ _Kamon muttered, his fate ultimately resigned and decided._

_

* * *

_"And that's how I'm here with… you…?" May stopped, glancing around the dock as she finally spotted Kamon heading into the heart of Vermilion City. "Kamon?"

"I'm not going to waste any more time at the docks listening to your life story," Kamon replied from the distance without turning around. He knew May was listening, which meant that it would have been unnecessary to face her anyway. "If you still want to tail me to Pallet Town, then you'd better quit wasting valuable time. I'm not here for pathetic tourism." He departed again, provoking May to run up and catch up to him.

"Kamon, wait up! Can't you see that I just want to help… you?" May called out, slowly finding that her voice faded off at her last word. Kamon could not comprehend her entire question, so he continued without stopping to think about what she could have said. For some reason, the brunette Coordinator felt more depressed rather than angry at Kamon's aloof personality. _You've already suffered enough, Kamon, so why do this…?_ The more May thought about this, though, the greater the sympathy she felt for Kamon. She was a kind-hearted individual, simply put, that merely wanted to get the renegade to reopen his heart since his main source of strife from the past was finally gone.

"You coming or what?" Kamon yelled over his shoulder, momentarily slowing down just to take pity on the girl. May broke out of her musings, shaking her head to clear herself and went off to catch up to Kamon.

_Well, at least I'll be able to see Brock, Drew, and Zoey for the first time since ever…_

_

* * *

_"Silver, what's with the sudden change of plans?" Ritchie asked, tightly hanging onto the back of his Charizard, Zippo, as he flew alongside his elder mentor on his Salamence several feet high up in the lackluster skies of the Kanto region. His Pikachu, Sparky, remained on the young Trainer's shoulder, grasping tightly onto his shirt as to not fall several feet from the air into the cold, hard ground down below. "I just don't understand."

"It's not meant for anyone else to understand, half-pint," Silver replied, his hardened gaze focusing upon the direction ahead as the wind blew against his dark hair. The Chikorita on his shoulder matched his expression, completely unfazed by the high elevations and strong winds at their altitude. "This is my business, and I told you before that you're free to go whenever you want."

"But Silver, I've learned so much about Pokémon and your own philosophy behind it," Ritchie reasoned. "I've gotten to see so much from under you and though Ash has become a Pokémon Master in everyone's books, I still have much to learn before I could follow up on our agreement."

"Which was…?"

"From the time we left each other after the Indigo Plateau Conference, we both promised to each other that we'd be Pokémon Masters no matter what," Ritchie explained, smiling fondly upon the replaying memories in his mind. "I had the bigger brain, but Ash had the bigger will. If his Charizard back then would have obeyed him, I would have definitely lost for sure."

"We all had dreams of becoming the best of the best, one way or another," Silver replied gruffly. "For me, that was finding Moltres and challenging it at its full legendary strength."

"But Moltres isn't even close to where we're going now."

"There were some priorities in life that I took above others, including my personal happiness," Silver sighed, a melancholic look softening his face as he looked down upon his Salamence. They were closer to their destination than they realized. "Even I have weaknesses, and my greatest one was also my main drive as a Pokémon Trainer: becoming the best, no matter how long it took to do so. It's time I stopped avoiding them and take them on like a real man. Ritchie, I hope you understand that this is something I _must_ do, considering the current state of the world right now."

"The worse has yet to come, I mean—."

"Just give me peace of mind and wait for me outside," Silver interrupted calmly.

Salamence and Zippo began their gradual descent, large wings flapping at regular intervals as to ensure their absolute safe landing. They landed at the front property of a quiet household within an equally quiet town. The front garden looked like it was regularly tended to, bringing out the beauty of nature and the sincere dedication of the owners of the garden. Silver scanned the area around, noting that not much had changed since he had last visited this place.

"Wait a minute," Ritchie mused, a memory ringing loudly within his mind. "Silver, this place… isn't this…?" Silver had already gone to the front door of the house they arrived at, having recalled his Salamence just before anything else. Ritchie kept his thoughts to himself, recalling Zippo while keeping out of sight as he promised. He watched from the corner of the house's wooden fence that Silver knocked upon the door three times with a steady fist. It only took a brief moment for the doorknob from the other side to jiggle open, revealing a fair brown-haired woman in her thirties. Yet upon closer look, she would have been perceived to be younger and possibly quite the beauty. Ritchie's eyes had widened out of disbelief; he wondered how this visit was related to Silver's past regrets in any shape or form possible.

"It's been a while, Delia…"

* * *

"How much longer is this going to take, Mr. Looker?" Angie groaned, fatigued from walking within the mist-covered Spring Path. Her Shinx shared the same exasperated look; the Flash Pokémon looked like it was limping rather than walking. "Are you sure you know where you're going within this insane maze?"

"I can assure you that this is the right way," Looker replied, continuing to lead the pair deeper into the thick fog that blanketed the trees. It had taken between two to three days have passed since their travels through the Spring Path. The detective had carried enough supplies and food to take care of himself, Angie, and Shinx. However, from the days they had set up camp, it did not feel for Angie that they were making any kind of progress on getting out of the forest.

"Oh, really? Then why doesn't a pillar of light just come out and shine in my face that we're finally out of this place?" Angie remarked sarcastically, shrugging nonchalantly for emphasis over the believed nonsense she had gotten herself and Shinx into.

"_You should listen to him; after all, he is right about the path he's leading you through,_" an enigmatic warning resonated up ahead.

"Yeah, but if he knew what he was doing, we'd…," Angie stopped, realizing that she had begun talking to a completely different voice; it was either that or her frustrated mind was starting to play some sort of illusion on her. "Please tell me that it was you who said that, Mr. Looker."

"Uh, it was me who said that?" Looker repeated, feeling somewhat perplexed by her request when he knew who really spoke out to her. However, Angie was not totally aware of the powerful presence that required her assistance in dire matters. Her Shinx was different as the hairs all over its body stiffened and stood on end to make the Flash Pokémon look formidable as possible, having sensed the unknown power up ahead.

Looker opened up a final path after brushing past the last pair of tree branches in the way. In what seemed to be an eternity to Angie, light had finally seemed to pour out from the opening up ahead. The uncovered light became too bright for the normal human eye to bear, causing the Solaceon caretaker to cover her eyes with both arms as she continued walking forward. Though as she advanced forward slowly one step at a time as to avoid tripping herself over anything that might possibly be in her blind path, the light itself started to dim down enough for conditions to be visible and bearable for her bare eyes. From that point, Angie was able to make out that they had arrived at a lake where a strange being cloaked in a large brown cape with a hood over the head floated at the center of the placid waters. The light had mysteriously originated from the creature.

"_Welcome,_" the same voice from before greeted the guests. The mystifying individual was the one confronting them, speaking mostly to Angie as they reached the lake. "_This place is known as the Sendoff Spring, otherwise known as Sinnoh's fourth lake that was kept a secret due to public safety._"

"D-Did you say this is the Sendoff Spring?" Angie repeated, trembling upon the thought the legend of the secret fourth lake reemerging fresh in her mind. "My parents once told me in a tale that beyond this hidden lake was a cave where dimensions are distorted. One of the worlds that was said to connect to ours is called the Distortion World, a dimension of antimatter that would otherwise keep our world in balance as it is a place where time doesn't flow and the laws of spatial physics don't apply."

"_So you have acute knowledge of the legends of the Sinnoh region then; I'm not surprised since you do dwell in this region, after all,_" the cloaked creature replied knowingly. The being slowly hovered forward to the land where Angie, Looker, and Shinx were, waves rippling upon the water beneath its feet. "_The Distortion World is also said to be home to the guardian of distortions and antimatter, also known as the rebel of time and space. You might recognize it as the legendary Giratina._"

"That is what is according to the latest research of Newton Graceland, the latest person who managed to traverse the Distortion World and see Giratina with his own eyes, Master," Looker added. Angie's head suddenly jerked towards the detective's direction.

"Wait a minute! '_Master_' is what you called it?!" Angie shouted, palpably outraged as realization of her current situation had dawned upon the Solaceon tomboy. Looker stepped back from shock, scared of her unleashed fiery wrath. "You led me on! I could be home by now and I'd have nothing to worry about."

"_Except for the destruction of our world if I don't acquire your assistance in this matter,_" the creature intervened, holding out a hand of three rather bulbous fingers from underneath the brown cape. It demonstrated its psychic prowess by freezing Angie's body in place, much to her furious dismay.

"Shinx Shinx-Shinx!" Shinx growled; blue static crackled all around from the standing fur on its body. The powerful psychic being redirected the hand to the Flash Pokémon's direction while still maintaining a mental bind on Angie.

"_I have no wish to harm any of you, but I will not hesitate to defend myself,_" the being explained calmly, its tone sincere and somewhat benevolent despite the darkness that shrouded its true nature. Shinx ceased the static, but remained wary and distrustful of the strange creature.

"E-Excuse me, but what do you need _my_ help for anyway?!" Angie demanded, struggling against the psychic binding upon her thin body. "Who or _what_ in the world are you?"

"_I will tell you my true purpose of having Officer Looker lure you here once I reveal my identity, but first I sense some interlopers among my fog,_" the being answered. Its piercing eyes hidden underneath its large hood glowed brightly, utilizing more of its psychic power upon the bushes behind the group. Frantic screaming was heard as two humans and a Meowth were forcibly pulled out from their hiding spot and right in front of Angie.

"It's those three from before," Looker remarked, surprised to learn that they had managed to follow him and Angie without getting lost in the creature's defensive mist.

"Team Rocket?! What more is there to the madness I've fallen into?" Angie screamed, exhaling her frustrations loudly as an effort to calm down. Indeed, the stubborn remnants of the disbanded Team Rocket huddled together out of fear until they spotted Looker nearby.

"Hey, it's dat Boxed-Lunch Guy!" Meowth exclaimed.

"So we _did_ manage to follow him and the Daycare twerpette after all," Jessie concurred with a smile.

"Oh, joyous reunion at last!" James cried in glee.

"I must apologize, but what do you need me for?" Looker asked. As though they were prompted, the trio came before him with heads low and bodies bowed before the bewildered agent in great humility.

"Oh, Boxed-Lunch Guy, please listen to our piteous pleas," Jessie pleaded, her tone dramatically sorrowful.

"Our Boss, or ex-Boss, has actually done the unthinkable and renounced the glorious name of Team Rocket," James continued, slightly lifting his head up to see Looker's reaction, hoping to receive some sort of sympathy.

"And we've come to give ya our help wit watever it is you're doin'," Meowth concluded, his expression in rather exaggerated tears. All together, the trio grabbed the agent's legs, ready to beg for their lives.

"We're desperate to be given a purpose, so won't you please find it in your heart to employ us?" the Rocket trio requested, tugging at Looker's pants and coattails relentlessly unless he gave them his answer.

"Oh, give me a break," Angie sighed, her attitude skeptical over the trio's behavior, given their description from Ash sometime in the past. "This is probably some trick to use us before running off with something valuable."

"_No, they're telling the truth of their desperate sincerity,_" the being of the lake spoke before the Rocket trio could argue back at Angie. "_I sense no deceit in their hearts. Their bodies are functioning without any sort of influence aside from their own. Team Rocket has dealt with an evil even greater than they were. The disbandment was the ultimate result. By now, your 'Boss' is wallowing in his own regrets, a punishment rather fitting for him._" The trio ridiculously sobbed together upon the mention of their beloved Boss, much to Looker's chagrin as their tears were soaking his attire. _And to think, I didn't even have to punish that fool myself. It was probably for the best as what I could have done, I would have regretted it regardless…_

"How do you know all about Team Rocket and everything else that's going on? And who are you anyway?" Angie queried relentlessly. "What's going on?" Questions were being asked all over the place. Truths were still masked and unknown as various statements and facts were thrown about, much like the Spring Path underneath the creature's power.

"_Very well, the time comes close that I shall reveal my true intentions,_" the being announced; the commotion from Angie and Team Rocket came to a complete halt. The creature pulled off the hood while allowing a tiny portion of Psychic power to rip off the brown cape that adorned its entire body, exposing the powerful being for what it truly was. "_I… am Mewtwo._"

* * *

The area was deadly quiet. The scalding winds blew across the deserted sandy plains, beyond the limits of civilization. One living being had started to stir awake as a result to the change of atmosphere, discovering himself to have been lying on his back on a flat rock surface. He gradually opened his eyes as to preserve the capability of vision he urgently needed for his survival, wherever he was located now. The dim light of the sun from above came into his sight, the burning sensation slightly irritating him. He slowly turned his head to the side to limit the light entering into his eyes; his blurred, weak vision managed to decipher three figures watching over him.

"Welcome back, Gallade," the larger silhouette of the three greeted softly. The voice was unmistakably young, matured, bold, sympathetic, and utterly familiar to Gallade. Upon instinctual response, he quickly sat up, vision restored.

"_Master Ash,_" Gallade mumbled, looking at his former Trainer as they finally saw eye to eye since a long time ago. Pikachu and Lucario were around him as well, apparently worried. "_What has happened to me? Where are we?_"

"You're free from her control; that's good," Ash replied, turning his head around. Gallade glanced back to what he was looking at and discovered his new Trainer still dressed in her mistress attire and her Sun Pokémon remained unconscious upon the bedrock behind them. "You're the first to wake up, though I was hoping she would wake up soon so we could go back finding Paul and fighting Reverse-Cipher. We've already lost too much time as it is."

"_That would change nothing,_" Gallade sighed, much to Ash's confusion. "_You see, even if she were to wake up now, she would still be the same before you overpowered her… and I would wind up back under her dominant mental control._"

"How can that be?" Ash inquired, panic struggling to burst out from his stomach. He felt it rise, but learned to suppress it and maintain his cool just for the better for situations such as these. "I defeated her and together escaped Pyrite Town. By the way, if I ever wanted to visit the Orre region for vacation, never recommend Pyrite Town or Colosseum as a tourist attraction."

"_Duly noted, but I don't see what that has to do with our circumstances involving her now. You should have seen her after you left her heartbroken and alone, Master Ash._"

"Oh…"

"_Her growing despair overwhelmed her will to live, considering how you repressed her most cherished memories of you and her before you left her for the greater good,_" Gallade explained solemnly. "_All living beings, including you, her, and myself, have a primitive, natural, carnal side that we would otherwise know of it as our 'dark side.' She had done a fantastic job with her self-control, putting her inhibitions and self-gratifying desires behind her. But her loneliness and the primal influences of the Pyrite populace were able to free her dark side and place her in control of the body._"

"So she still exists then within her," Ash finished, contemplating the first available course of action. "If this was my fault, then I must fix this."

"_How will you do so, Master Ash?_" Gallade asked, his telepathic voice sounding hasty and worried. "_When I was able to momentarily break out of her control, you barely stood a chance against her in battle. What could you do now that you had not done back then?_" Ash stood up, steadying his posture before walking over to the unconscious young woman with lilac hair and a distressed expression frozen upon her pale face.

"It's a long shot, but if this can work then we should have the old Anabel back before we know it," Ash sighed, kneeling beside the wretched girl he took for granted. _I'm so sorry. This was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. I really am as dumb as my friends said, but I thought… I thought…_ The young Aura Guardian slightly caressed her exposed face as an act of regret for the heartache and sorrow he gave her because of his own foolish doubts. He felt the damage, though it was not visible, upon the stroke of her pastel cheek. Gallade, Pikachu, and Lucario looked at him expectantly, waiting for his next decision to save the Salon Maiden's soul.

"_Well, what is it that you're going to do?_" Gallade demanded impatiently, but as politely as he could have mustered. The waiting tension had dragged on long enough.

"I'm going to enter her mind."

* * *

**Happy birthday, **_**Tale of Stardom**_**!**

**So we have four different scenarios, each with a troublesome cliffhanger that will be continued the next time I update. And yes, I can be cruel when needed. Ah ha ha! Anyway, I felt like I neglected the side stories a bit, so I wanted to bring them back to memory, especially with the summary's promise for MirrorRivalShipping, even though Drew and Zoey have not appeared but were mentioned, and minor LithiumShipping. Anyway, these pairings are pretty good alternates if you don't favor the usual, more popular pairings. Just give them a try, that's all I'm saying.**

**I hope you will find the time to review this chapter. What are your thoughts, questions, and concerns about it?**

**Ciao!**


	37. Secrets

**Well, my winter semester's finally picking up and I won't be able to update as often as I'd like, not that I've been updating anyway. Usually I update on random intervals or on days I can find with significant meaning, such as the birth dates of both my **_**Stardom series**_** stories. Next update, I predict, would be around… my birthday. That would be after this chapter, of course.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**"It's been a while, Delia…"

A cold silence fell upon the Ketchum residence. Sharp winds passed through the house without care or concern. Ritchie and Sparky watched the confrontation of the two adult figures at the front doorway from behind the fence, seeing the man he regarded as his mentor speaking so casually to Mrs. Ketchum as though they were or used to be long time friends. He noticed that Delia had a neutral look, which was strange and foreign to the young Trainer as far as he knew Ash's own mother back in the Indigo League nearly six to seven years back. She was not smiling at Silver's greeting, nor did she seem incensed upon his sudden intrusion into her humble home; she was the type that was difficult to anger. When she did ever get angry, it was usually for a strong reason.

"So…," Delia finally spoke, the tone of her voice straightforward without the usual kindness and hospitality that accompanied it. "It looks like the prodigal _father_ has finally returned. We should celebrate by calling in the whole family and have a great feast."

_F-Father?!_ Ritchie thought, his eyes along with Sparky's widening upon the revelation. In the same time he was surprised, he calmed down; it all started to make sense to him now. _So then that means… It all makes perfect sense now… And how he treated me as we trained together, it's because he almost saw me as… Whoa, I wasn't sure until now, but I never asked Silver since I still valued living over finding out the secrets of his past._

"You're frustrated about me, Delia, I see that," Silver surmised, sighing at the difficulty of the reunion. "I know that I left you and him to continue my journey, but you didn't say anything to stop me."

"Even if I tried pleading, your obsession to finding your ultimate challenge was just greater than being with me, right?" Delia replied, a rare moment of coldness covering her tone. Silver looked away to the side, having known that she would indeed be upset once he returned. "You do now realize what you've also missed out on aside from Ash's first words, do you?"

"How is he, Delia?" Silver asked offhandedly.

"Showing concern over your only son's well-being; I guess _now's_ the time for you to be a real father, huh?"

"Delia, you know that I was only pursuing my dreams," Silver reasoned, attempting to keep his cool as he conversed with the immovable obstacle in front of him. "I did not want to settle down until I found and battled Moltres at its greatest power."

"Which was why Ash and I had to stay with my adopted family the moment I chose to leave my old home behind, the _Ketchum_ family mind you," Delia added, her expression gradually becoming cross and dead serious. "You know all I wanted in life are the simple things, which were to learn about Pokémon, raise a family, and among other things, have peace of mind. I can't even speak about my old life, which involved training to become a subservient Aura Guardian to serve the queen of Rota; I _hated_ it!" She screamed with an extremely seldom venomous tone, even startling Silver to trip several steps back. Delia shook her head, calming herself down as she resumed her somber mood. "Even when I married you at our young age, I was hoping that would be enough to convince you to stay. But even when we had Ash, that was not enough to stop your pursuit of Moltres, which was why I had to let you go while changing my name back to 'Ketchum' so I wouldn't receive too much attention."

"Delia…," Silver mumbled, having been rendered speechless for the third time in his life; the first two times involved meeting her for the first time and falling in love with her. Delia walked toward him in a mechanical fashion. Silver was about to step back further until the woman threw her arms around his upper body, pulling him close to her in a rather strong hug. "I… I'm sorry for having done this, Delia." Delia shivered as she buried her face into his well-toned abs, her emotions reaching a critical point. Silver knew she was crying so he gingerly wrapped his own protective arms around his neglected, brunette wife.

"I couldn't stop loving you, even when you did leave to follow your dreams," Delia's muffled sobs explained, embracing Silver even tighter, much to the strong man's chagrin that his blood and oxygen circulation was starting to be cut off. "However, I couldn't bear to tell Ash the truth that his father left him because of his own goals. My precious child didn't deserve to hear it; instead, I told him epic tales about how you were out there somewhere becoming the best Trainer, a Pokémon Master. It was then he wanted to find you and show the world that he was the son of a Pokémon Master, by becoming one in his own name. It was really you to thank for his youthful dreams. He's just made me so proud… I… I…!"

"But you never really held it against me, did you?" Silver inquired softly, caressing Delia's slender back and easing her emotional pain the best he could; there were times that he was capable of sympathy, but it just did not look too good for his current reputation as a powerful and violent man.

Watching from behind the house fence, Ritchie and Sparky were left agape as Silver and Delia's past was playing out right in front of them. They had enough courtesy to keep quiet and ask questions later once the mood would stabilize and hopefully no hard feelings would linger after this complicated confrontation. He exchanged a quick look with Sparky, which decided what they would do next. With a quick shift of his eyes, Ritchie had directed the Mouse Pokémon to Professor Oak's laboratory just nearby. They left their hiding spot inconspicuously, deciding to pay Professor Oak a visit for simply their own interests.

"You are who you are, Silver, and I loved you because you were a simple man with a simple dream of becoming the best," Delia replied, her quivering sobs slowing down. Silver could have sworn that he heard a genuine giggle escape his long-time beloved's precious lips. "Only you could be Ash's father, darling, no one else."

"I see," Silver mumbled, keeping Delia secure in his arms. "Anyway, you don't have to tell me what he's up to know. He's trying to play the big hero after that awesome final match against Sinnoh Champ Cynthia and having accomplished the greatest Trainer of his time. I also heard that he trained for a bit in the aura arts. I'm surprised that you allowed him to do so…, sweetie." He felt Delia's head nod against his chest.

"He's in the Orre region with his own sweetheart and powerful rival to keep him in shape as they take down those bad people that interrupted his Master coronation," Delia continued for him. If she had looked up, she would have noticed an uncharacteristic grin spreading from ear to ear on Silver's face. "As for his aura training, there's nothing that forbids him from learning about his own heritage. I can't help him since _I_ severed the ties, not him; he had to figure it out himself or through others willing to help him discover his heritage. He's free to pursue whatever interests his precious heart. I just hope he doesn't do anything reckless that would cause him to lose sight of who he is."

"Well, since I'm his father, there's a possible chance he might do something rash that might endanger everyone around him," Silver suggested somewhat lightheartedly; his hard face was on the unwitting end of Delia's swift hand. He did not notice her action until a stinging sensation burned upon the left side of his face in the form of an open hand. "Ow! W-What I mean is that he'll probably make mistakes, b-but fix them as soon as possible! There! Happy?" He grinned sheepishly while Delia shook her head.

"What _will_ I ever do with you, Silver?" Delia sighed, shrugging before facing him again with an indisputable smile of her own. Silver smirked back, folding his arms across his buff chest, ruffling the sleeves of his tan coat.

"You know, I also seem to remember meeting an equally reckless, but beautiful young girl with a zest for life when I came to Pallet Town for the first time," Silver admitted, chuckling gruffly in his throat. "I remembered that she had started studying about Pokémon under one Professor Samuel Oak so that she could try out as a Pokémon Trainer someday." Delia's eyes widened from the recognition of his statement, only to laugh it off rather awkwardly before putting on a daring face.

"Oh, _really_?" Delia asked rather teasingly, furrowing a brow at her determined husband. "And just what did this spunky, cute girl do that was so reckless that you just had to bring up?" Silver's smirk grew, showing off his strong white teeth that held back a good-natured laugh.

"She fell in love with me and took a chance to start her own family by conceiving a brave son that inherited only the best qualities from both parents," Silver answered, bearing a victorious smirk on his hardened face. Delia broke out into a small giggling fit, unable to contain her amusement from their little playful mind game. She lightly waltzed herself into his arms as though she was dreaming, ending up with Silver catching her with a bemused look.

"Alright, you win _that_ round seeing as I've given you much hard time for you to realize the consequences of your actions, mister," Delia said, looking up to Silver's face with a softened gaze of renewed love. "… I really missed you, you know."

"And I'm really sorry for putting my own goals above my personal happiness, Delia," Silver replied as gently as he could have; his excessive efforts on being sensitive for the sake of people closest to him had actually made him a rather likeable guy. No matter how intimidating or fierce his true personality gave off, Delia was one of the few people able to see through the fiery conflicts of his heart. It was only her and his own parents; the latter before his heated, yet foolish falling out at the start of his journey caused him to sever his ties to them.

It was at the moment as Silver continued to stare at Delia that the distance between their faces was closing, measured from the tips of their lips longing for the deep physical contact they once tasted from each many other years ago. Despite the years they were apart, the two of them looked as though they were just engaged, filled with youth, love, and happiness. Their ages did not matter as their physical appearances had contradicted them; it was almost as though they had not aged at all from around the time they found comfort and true love in each other. They were reaching closer and closer, leaving their fate to chance as they peacefully closed their eyes.

"Silver! Help!" a voice of a familiar young man shouted, having come from the direction of Professor Oak's laboratory. Silver and Delia looked over the distance after stumbling out of their intimate positions from the initial shock, discovering Ritchie and his Pikachu running towards them in a panic.

"Oh, Ritchie, what brings you to Pallet Town?" Delia asked amiably, quickly dismissing her earlier experiences. Silver, on the other hand, looked extremely agitated.

"Half-pint… What in the world are you doing here?!" Silver demanded, hissing through gritted teeth as Ritchie went to them, completely breathless from the run.

"'Half-pint'? Just like you were when we first met before puberty granted you those luscious muscles?" Delia jested, giggling lightly as Silver continued to silently fume over his luck before a strange thought came to mind. "Wait a minute, how do you know Ritchie in the first place, darling?"

"Uh, we met at the Sevii Islands while he was searching for Moltres and he agreed to take me in to train me in becoming a Pokémon Master, Mrs. Ketchum," Ritchie answered before Silver could have gotten a word in.

"Took you in…," Delia mumbled to herself; her eyes jolted in shock before narrowing into an enraged glare upon the surprised Silver. "So, you couldn't be a father to Ash, but you took in Ritchie instead to fill the void. How could you?!"

"Delia, I swear it's not like that!" Silver retorted immediately, feeling himself shrink under his wife's anger. "It was just that when I bumped into Ritchie, he reminded me a lot of myself at his age and had much unlocked potential… Then again, that wouldn't be surprising as both of them… were… pretty… similar?"

"…"

"Delia, I know it's not the same, but I felt like I needed to teach and guide someone," Silver continued explaining, even though it seemed to be in vain as Delia's irate stare did not disappear as easily as the first time he came face to face with it. "Ritchie just happened to be there."

"You…!"

"Mrs. Ketchum, please wait," Ritchie intervened quickly, gulping before going through what he knew was going to be wrong: lying. "I have no idea what you two are arguing about, but there's trouble at Oak's lab. When I first entered, there was a red-haired maniac trying to beat up some old scientist with a big mustache. I think I saw him before though… Samba, was it?"

"Oh, no! Professor!" Delia cried, trying to run to his lab to help, but her arm was held back by Silver.

"Let me handle this," Silver proposed gruffly, looking intently into her eyes. "I'll evict this maniac; after all, I already know what it's like to be evicted from public places." Delia gazed back into his powerful eyes, a feeling of comfort and assurance warming her heart. She nodded and was released. "Ritchie, let's go."

"Silver, please don't do anything reckless," Delia pleaded just as her husband and his protégé began sprinting off to Oak's laboratory. She saw that Silver looked back, grinning that familiar grin widely. She smiled back, hoping he would see her confidence in him as she clasped a hand upon her heart. "Like father, like son, I suppose. Oh, well…"

* * *

"You freaking liar!" Kamon hissed, mercilessly throwing a right jab into the side of Namba's face. The swift punch left a rather unsightly bruise on the ex-Rocket scientist. Namba quickly shuffled back on his feet, cowering away from the enraged son of his former boss.

"I swear that this is the truth, Kamon, my boy!" Namba cried, desperately waving his hands in front of his face as an attempt for protection from his young man's wrath. He was backed into a corner within Oak's laboratory, unable to fend for himself due to his own old age and withered strength in comparison to Kamon's unbridled fury. "That was what Master Giovanni had truly thought of you. I swear!" Kamon stopped in his tracks, fuming intensely as Namba cringed even more.

"I'm dealing with a member of a disbanded organization that lied, cheated, and even murdered to get where it was now," Kamon growled, his piercing red eyes flashing death. "And you expect _me_ to believe _you_, a pathetic failure in a pathetic team that failed my foolish father?!"

"Kamon, this is going too far! Please stop this!" May pleaded, attempting to stop him, but her arm was held back by a resolute Zoey.

May, Zoey, and an unconscious Drew were relegated to the sidelines once Kamon unleashed his anger upon the old scientist; none of them had the strength to stop his rampage. Brock went home to Pewter City to ensure his family's safety while Professor Oak, Tracey, and Gary had some business to attend to outside of the lab, which only left Zoey and Drew to watch over it while Namba did more research to help stop Reverse-Cipher. However, the peace did not last very long once Kamon stormed in with May ecstatic to seeing her friends and rivals for a while now, unaware of the former's violent intentions. Once the brutal interrogation had begun, Drew immediately tried to hold him back on his own, sacrificing himself for the sake of the young women. However, Kamon had easily overpowered him with one punch into the stomach and having been thrown straight into a hard, cold wall. Apparently, Zoey did not want to see any of her friends injured and nearly rendered comatose like her green-haired boyfriend was.

"May, this guy you followed from Johto is far too dangerous to be with," Zoey commented, having noted Kamon's dark and conflicted personality the moment she laid eyes upon him. She tenderly placed a hand upon Drew's sleeping face, feeling some of his warmth returning into his form yet his pale skin was still considered somewhat cold to the touch. "Why did you let him come here anyway?"

"I didn't know he was going to do this, Zoey! Honestly!" May cried, holding herself close to her red-haired Coordinator friend as they watched Kamon grab Namba by the collar of his shirt.

"You despicable piece of scum, my father _never_ loved me; love was a sign of weakness," Kamon growled at Namba's practically bloodied face close up before sending another punch his way. "The moment that a person begins to love, all of that person's strength is drained up by it and thus would be completely useless. A broken tool! That's what I was to him! That's what _my dead mother_ was to that bastard!"

The angst-ridden, hot-tempered redhead slammed Namba several times into the wall, releasing more and more of his rage as final thoughts over Giovanni swirled in mind like a relentless storm. Kamon came to seek out secrets his father might have left behind to the only known living survivor of Team Rocket before news about Ardos and Reverse-Cipher's betrayal had declared him officially dead to the world. When he finally reached Namba to learn more about his father, the old scientist claimed that he knew the true reason of why Giovanni abandoned him over seven years ago. Believing on how his father operated, Kamon initially thought that he was useless to him as a weak child and listening to the blasphemy Namba blathered about was a complete mockery of his past.

"Choose… what you… believe," Namba groaned, scrapes of his blood sliding down his wrinkled face. "Your father… wanted you… free… Kamon…"

"Just shut up already! Shut up!" Kamon snarled impatiently, raising his tightened right fist high above his head, charging power and momentum for the final impact to end Namba's stubborn nonsense. "Hyyyyaaaaa—_What the…_?!" The red-haired Trainer felt some sort of rope snare his right arm, preventing him from throwing the final punch. He quickly discovered a thin, but resilient green vine binding and restraining the moment of his raised arm.

"Excellent work, Chikorita," a new, deep, and rough voice commended heartily. The active company present in the room, which included Kamon, May, Zoey, and the battered Namba, saw that standing by the entrance doorway of the room was a tall, muscular man with long dark-silver hair in a long brown coat accompanied by a young man that seemed to be almost a clone of Ash as his green attire nearly resembled their friend's and that he had a Pikachu with a messy tuft of fur sticking out from the top of its head riding on his shoulder. They all discovered that the Vine Whip had originated from the Chikorita casually staying on the strong man's left shoulder.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Kamon demanded, struggling against Chikorita's restraining vine, but to no avail, could not free his arm. The older man merely smirked at the frustrated Trainer's anger.

"The name's Silver, short-fuse," Silver greeted nonchalantly, grinning. Hearing the name had somewhat struck a nerve in Kamon's system as the dark redhead could here Namba chuckled weakly in his grasp.

"'Silver,' eh? Looks like he shares your nickname with you, boy…," Namba pointed out, briefly pausing from a bad cough due to the injuries received from Kamon. "But unlike you, I learned from Cassidy and… Biff, I think… that it's his _real_ name, not a symbolic alias of the sort to lead a separate life." The decrepit scientist was viciously silenced for now when Kamon slammed him into the wall behind him, having let go of him now that someone else dared to get in the Trainer's way for answers.

"Listen, _Silver_," Kamon hissed coolly as he faced the strong man, robustly tugging on his Chikorita's vine. "I'll give you until three for your Chikorita to let go of me right now."

"Or else what?" Silver added, smirking widely at the young man's predicament as well as his tenacity for issuing out demands in his current state. Kamon sneered back at the dark-silver-haired man, using his free left hand to slowly reach into his pockets.

"One… Two…," Kamon muttered, time slowing down into a cold stop as his fingers found the Poké Ball he wanted inside his pocket. His piercing red eyes jolted wide in anticipation, the countdown coming to a close. "_Three_…!" His hand was pulled out of his pants pocket, revealing a Poké Ball enlarged to release a powerful Pokémon to assist him.

"Chikorita, restrain him again with Vine Whip," Silver whispered quickly to the Leaf Pokémon.

"Chi-ko!" Chikorita yelled, swiftly sending in another vine from a side green bud from its neck at the partially immobilized target. Its reflex and attack was quicker than Kamon's counterattack.

"Feraligatr, battle—Aah!" Kamon growled as Chikorita's second vine had not only caught his left arm, but was also used to restrain his entire upper body as well. Feraligatr's Poké Ball dropped out of his hand and onto the floor, yet it did not open up and release the Big Jaw Pokémon since the spherical containment device was not activated properly. It had lain inert and helpless on the floor, just like its Trainer.

"You shouldn't have considered me dumb enough to let you release your beast in this fragile, but vital Pokémon operations lab, now did you?" Silver taunted, keeping a cool, yet arrogant tone at the furious young man.

"Damn you!" Kamon roared, flailing against his green bindings as he inched towards Feraligatr's Poké Ball on the ground. "You have _no_ idea what I've been through; in the past, I've even trained my Pokémon to kill if necessary! You're pushing me up to that point now." He hastily bit down upon one of Chikorita's vines as another attempt to free himself.

"Chi-_ka_!" Chikorita yelped from the sting, fighting the urge to reel back its increasingly painful vine for Silver's sake. Silver patted the Leaf Pokémon on the head, calming it down enough to ignore the pain. However, if Kamon was not subdued soon, the vine would eventually snap, especially considering the rate of redhead Trainer's obstinate and wild mindset.

"Kid, it's over now," Silver announced, his taunting façade replaced with that of grim severity. It was strange to Kamon at first; the sharp features of the older man's face reminded him of his own father's strict and businesslike personality. "What do you hope to accomplish by allowing your emotions to control you like this?" Kamon spat out the vine he was gnawing on, looking away from the group in grief.

"What's it to you, old man?" Kamon mumbled despondently, falling upon one knee as Chikorita's vines had practically disabled him. The others cautiously crowded around him as his deep and rather soft-spoken voice was barely audible to him. "Why would any of you for that matter care about what happens to some strange, useless child like me? Because of certain failures my father's organization had faced in the past before I was even of Trainer age, I was tossed aside like a pathetic, broken tool. I was of no use to him, just like his team of failures."

"Maybe you're right, kid," Silver spoke up, his unsympathetic agreement surprising everyone. "Maybe your father did not want you around…" Though his tone was indifferent and cold, Silver secretly saw the pain within Kamon's past of abandonment from his father, reminding him of his own remorse of leaving behind his loved one and her son as he went to pursue his own goals. "But nobody can be considered 'perfect' in this world, one way or another. This is why we fight and battle, to find ourselves and make ourselves known throughout the world of who we are."

"Please, it's not like _you_ had a falling out with your father or anything," Kamon scoffed, ironically making the older man in the brown coat tense up and repress the urge to throttle the unruly kid. Before Silver could have done anything else, someone quickly brushed between him and Ritchie, embracing Kamon right in front of all to see such dramatic tension. They had all witnessed the brown-haired young woman sporting the green bandanna deeply hugging Kamon for all her worth.

"Don't say such cruel things anymore… please just don't anymore," May whispered in his ear. Kamon was left confounded by her actions and emotions towards him. No matter how many times he tried to push her away in order to prevent her from entering his cold world, she bounced back and continued trying to warm his heart and free him from the nightmares of his past. "No one deserves to torture themselves with such abuse, not even you. Just let it go already!"

"I already told you that I've learned my lesson about treating Pokémon and such from losses against Lance himself… and from someone I've actually considered to be my greatest rival and best friend," Kamon replied as gently as he could. He could hear May's shivering breathing; he still could not believe that someone could actually care about him this much. "My personality and self are a different story." It was at that moment that he felt May's arms squeeze him even tighter, pulling the confused young man closer to her. _Why do you care so much? Why?_

"You just needed love, Kamon; everyone needs it," May surmised kindheartedly without hesitation. Such an emotion had remained foreign to Kamon for far too long. The only time he was sure that he felt love was when both of his parents were still together, when he was still a young toddler and before his delicate mother had passed away. Kamon looked at the sweet Coordinator embracing him, her warmth making him calm and at peace.

_Hmph, it's funny, but she almost reminds me of her,_ Kamon thought; his expression remaining neutral. The longer he stared at May, the attempt of holding back the corner of his mouth from slightly curling into a smile weakened.

"Kamon, it might have been a complete shocker to you when Namba told you that your father left you out of love, but I really think he was telling the truth," Zoey added in, standing over May's shoulder for him to see with a semiconscious Drew hanging onto her shoulder for support. "Since we all know now that your dad was the big boss of Team Rocket, it would have been possible that he did not want you to follow him down the same path. Since he had already decided his fate, he must have tried to spare you from following his dark path by abandoning you."

"But why did he do this without even telling me of his plan?" Kamon asked.

"Be… Because you were just like him when he was young," a crusty old voice intervened, revealing that the weakened Dr. Namba had finally regained consciousness. He crawled on the ground close to Kamon and May, struggling to give out his own input on the matter; he did come to the old scientist for answers and Namba was not about to go back on the deal. In a way, he still held some form of respect for Kamon despite him severing all ties to Giovanni. "Despite your rigid and serious faces, you both completely treasured over the people you cared about. When Master Giovanni's wife passed away, the man was utterly devastated and took out his hatred on us by making us commit more elaborate crimes for the dominion over the Kanto region."

"I'm not surprised."

"Hold on, I'm not finished yet, boy," Namba wheezed, coughing harshly over the injuries he still had from before. "I worked with your father for many years, even before he met the love of his life. I knew that it could have been worse, but you know what I think? It was because he still had you, Kamon, as the surviving reminder that Master Giovanni was truly not the calculating, heartless man many of us perceived him to be." Though he had tried explaining this to Kamon before, Namba saw a reaction from the red-haired young man that was different than his earlier angered attitude; this was one of unexplainable incredulity. "Please listen… to what I have to say next…"

* * *

_Seven years ago…_

_Inside his office standing at the highest floor below the rooftop of the Rocket Headquarters, Giovanni gazed through the wall of glass that separated him from the tranquil environment outside with his Persian napping on top of his comfy leather chair. A small flock composed of Pidgey and Pidgeotto flew across the blue sky, exploring areas of the vast world they lived in as they desired. A young Dr. Namba, with a head covered in the stereotypical messy and spiky salmon-pink hair resembling that of a mad scientist along with a mustache that declared his seniority over the lowly, younger members of Team Rocket, was called into the Boss' office to finish sorting out the last of the paperwork that involved his latest explorations in Pokémon evolution and how their organization's collected Pokémon could thrive from his experimentations._

"_Lambda, do you have a second?" Giovanni asked before Namba finished piling up his papers within a thin manila pocket folder._

"_It's 'Namba'!" Namba shouted, his outrageous burst causing him to throw the folder in the air and scattering all of his papers that were rigorously organized in place. "Argh! What rotten luck! Boss, could you have at least some decency to call me by my right name?!"_

"_You're right, sorry," Giovanni muttered; Namba gaped._

'_He's actually sorry…?' Namba thought disbelievingly._

"_Anyway, I have a personal question to ask you," Giovanni resumed, facing away from the glass wall and looking upon the bemused scientist. His face remained obdurate and impassive, but even Namba could see that he was serious about this matter. "What matters to man the most? Obtaining power through any form or shape possible? Or is it to ensure the life and happiness of those he cares about?"_

"_Oy, vey, how would I know anything about sentimentality all of a sudden? And why would YOU, of all people, care about such things?"_

"_Hmph, fine, just go ahead and dismiss what I had said earlier," Giovanni grunted, shrugging casually and turning around to face the outside through his transparent glass wall. Namba sighed and was just about to walk away with his neatly arranged papers once again, but not before falling over upon the next set of words that left Giovanni's mouth. "It's about Kamon. He's coming of age."_

"_Sir, he's only just turned eight-years old," Namba pointed out heatedly, quickly putting his papers back into place within his file for the third time in a row. "I'll assure you that he'll be a fine soldier for Team Rocket once he reaches ten. After all, have you seen the current incompetents we've hired recently?"_

"_Hmph, I know," Giovanni grumbled, lowering his head down. 'I've seen their constant failures for far too long. Would I subject Kamon to this kind of pitiful life? How would she react to this if she were still alive?' The Team Rocket Boss had chosen to make the effort, simply out of greed, to create an organization to rule the world and gain authority over all living beings. However, with idiots like Jessie, James, and Meowth running around and screwing everything up, such as their pathetic attempts at capturing a simple Pikachu, Giovanni could not help but imagine how Kamon would feel if he were to inherit the criminal organization once his own time had come. "He doesn't deserve this unnecessary stress and pressure."_

"_Pardon?" Namba inquired._

"_My life's been set the moment she passed away," Giovanni stated, turning around to face Namba with his cold, hardened look. "I've got to finish what I've started and lead Team Rocket to glory. Kamon, on the other hand, does not have to." _

"_But if you're finally done with Team Rocket, who will be the successor that would continue leading us to world domination?" Namba asked rather irately. "Kamon's a strong child, no doubt from a strong father like you."_

"_And what kind of father would I be just to subject him to this punishment?" Giovanni retorted. Namba was left speechless, unable to even pick up his last paper for his file. "While it's true that I want to rule the world with powerful Pokémon, it should be done in my time. That's another thing to add. But with the current failures I have now, I'll be done with this sooner than you think. After all, I won't be as young in the next few months if this keeps up."_

"_But then what of Kamon and his future?" Namba queried. "If you don't want him to follow your footsteps, then what will you do about him?" _

_Giovanni sighed heavily, looking down upon his desk in humility. The only decoration that stood out on his desk aside from important documents, several black-inked pens, and a bobble headed Exeggutor was a simple picture frame of him, his beautiful, delicate wife, and a small red-headed child in their arms that radiated of pure joy and happiness. This was completely unlike a man of his stern and uncaring caliber to have such an object, but if anyone were given a single ounce of sentimentality, this old photo was the only memory Giovanni kept to keep him sane. No one else knew of it or saw the front of the picture frame, not even his closest admins. Giovanni thought about it over and over; which sacrifice would worth it in the end? Allow Kamon to take over Team Rocket or let him go? _

"_That's it then," Giovanni spoke up, facing up and away from his desk. He placed a hand over the top of the picture frame. "From this point forward, Kamon should be free from my corrupt influences. If it's any consolation, I'll do what it takes to get him to leave. I can't have these circumstances hinder me like this any longer. I've already chosen my destiny as this world's future ruler, and I can't have these things get in my way any longer." He abruptly slammed the picture frame face down, concealing his inner happiness from the entire world._

"_That will be difficult, sir, as Kamon sees you as his hero for being the big, strong man you are today," Namba pointed out, his tone slightly sarcastic. "A son only wants to be acknowledged by his father for doing what he believes is right."_

"_Then I'll have no choice then," Giovanni sighed, growling at his own emotions for holding him back. 'This is for the best… for the both of us…' He felt a sharp pain pounding at his heart, a pain he last experienced when his wife died. It was only since then that his hardened heart was unable to be wounded, that was until the matter of Kamon's future emerged all of a sudden. "I'll have to shatter his image of me by being a complete bastard, throwing his pathetic self aside because… he's not good enough to serve me!" _

_Namba stared at him incredulously, his callous words reverberating in his ears. He knew that was not true as Kamon was quite proficient with handling Pokémon at his young age, but if Giovanni wished to be rid of him once and for all, who was he to stand in his way? The scientist knew that he would be losing a future valuable member of Team Rocket, but he also knew better not to go against the Boss' decisions. His word was law in the organization. It had to be done._

"_Alrighty then," Namba shrugged, sighing as he picked up his last paper and finally left before the door. Just before he fully exited Giovanni's office, he could have sworn that he heard a whispered apology, almost like a prayer, inside the office._

"_I'm sorry, my son… I failed you."_

_

* * *

_"I was the only witness to his remorse that day, Kamon," Namba concluded, feeling fatigued from the entire explanation. "Though Master Giovanni moved on to watching over the progress of Team Rocket, I secretly kept tabs over you as you went out to become a powerful Trainer under the alias 'Silver,' though at some point, I had to discontinue it out of fear that he would discover me."

"You poor, tragic soul," May whispered to Kamon, continuing her warm embrace on the restrained redhead. He could practically see that she was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry that it had to happen to you. I wish there was another way to spare you from such heartbreak."

"There wasn't," Kamon stated as plain as day, his voice devoid of any emotion. May immediately glanced at him, her round blue eyes shimmering in melancholy. "Now that I look back at it, I wouldn't have left my father for anything. I blindly worshipped him. I guess if abandoning me was the only way to separate me from Team Rocket, then I would have done the same." He lowered his head down upon May's shoulder, which only encouraged her to hug him tighter. For some reason, he felt warmth from his heart making its way up to his face; if anyone could have seen Kamon's face, he was practically blushing for the first time. _What is this girl to me…?_

"You just didn't have the patience and maturity to look at it that way," Namba added, smirking slightly over the fact that Kamon must have realized his own petty, narrow-minded perspective instead of trying to determine how his father had truly looked at it. "He was saving you from the fate of being part of Team Rocket, which was a wise decision considering where Team Rocket's now at: at the bottom of the Sinnoh ocean thanks to those traitorous ne'er-do-wells from Cipher."

"I have to agree with you on that one, Namba," an elderly voice concurred. Much to the entire company's astonishment, Professor Oak, Tracey, and Gary had finally returned to the lab.

"Wow, this must have been some party only for us to miss it," Tracey remarked, analyzing the current condition of the entire room. "After all, we only went to the Indigo Plateau a while ago since the Pokémon League Committee wanted Gary to substitute as the Viridian City Gym Leader until a new one could be found."

"What in the world happened here?" Gary inquired, noticing May hugging a bitter-looking, red-haired man tied under a Chikorita's vines with a bruised and bloodied Namba lying on the floor. "Zoey? Drew? What happened here while we were gone?" The Coordinator couple exchanged quick looks before facing the young impatient Researcher.

"Okay, see it's like this," Drew began, regaining feeling in his legs as he slowly stood on his own two feet. His body had managed to heal the majority of pain inflicted by Kamon earlier. "Zoey, take it from here."

"What?! Fine," Zoey pouted, glaring at the sheepish, yet still recovering Coordinator. As much as she wanted to give him a piece of her mind, he needed to be at full strength again so it would not feel as though she had given him a cheap shot. "May had come back to the Kanto region to visit us after stopping by to see Brock, but it also turns out that she was accompanying this guy named Kamon, who she told us was the former son of Team Rocket's boss. Kamon sought out Namba for his father's secrets, one of them being the real reason he abandoned him at a young age. After that, well, he went ballistic over Namba, calling him a liar and started beating him up like crazy!"

"Okay, but then what are _they_ doing here?" Gary asked, pointing out the appearances of Ritchie and the strong man with the Chikorita; he recognized the former from the Indigo League Conference when he once competed in it along with Ash.

"We stopped by Pallet Town and I went to see if Professor Oak was here out of curiosity," Ritchie explained, accompanied with a nod from Sparky. "That was when we found about this incident and I got Silver to stop him." Gary mused over the news, approaching the two of them with several more questions in mind. He looked up at Silver, who only smirked back lightheartedly.

"Why do I get the feeling I've seen you before, but so long ago?" Gary commented, examining the details of Silver's face.

"Yes, why indeed," Professor Oak commented, walking towards the three of them. He looked at Silver, a solemn line forming from his mouth. "Why are you back here?"

"If you're worried about her, then don't," Silver replied in the same curt tone. Gary did not know what his grandfather or this strange man was talking about. Ritchie and Sparky kept quiet, knowing that this was none of their business. Drew, Zoey, Kamon, and May glanced over at them; they were curious as well as it was part of their nature to know. "I'll admit that our reunion was not the most joyous of them all, but we managed to patch things up, more or less."

"I see, especially considering how your timing could not be any more impeccable," Professor Oak added, his serious stare not having broken off from Silver's. "If you've done what you've said you did, what will you do now?"

"With all due respect, Professor, I believe I must take my leave now," Silver answered, bowing as politely as he could. With a brusque nod of his head, Chikorita retracted its vines from around Silver's body.

"Silver, what about Kamon?" Ritchie asked, concerned of what would happen with the irritable red-headed Trainer now free.

"I think she's got that covered, half-pint," Silver grinned, looking over his shoulder to see Kamon still locked within May's caring embrace. "Let's go, Ritchie. We have more obligations to attend to now."

* * *

The vicinity of Sendoff Spring was calm, yet tense. Within the mysterious fog, the being in hiding that created the fog itself had revealed its true identity; this was the first step for unveiling his true intentions for luring Angie to the Sinnoh region's secret fourth lake, considering the risks involved. For one thing, they were at a location were the line between this world and the next was said to be at its weakest, merging the two dimensions together. It was also because of this strange phenomenon that Ghost-type Pokémon could also be seen across the lake, inhabiting the cave where dimensions were distorted. These risks were taken only for one goal: to help save the world.

"_I am Mewtwo,_" the powerful Psychic-type Pokémon admitted, his large brown cloak removed and true body revealed before Angie, Shinx, Looker, and the surviving Team Rocket trio.

"Mewtwo? That name still reminds me of an important character from a movie whose prequel I just can't remember," James remarked, trying to recall possible links of encountering the Genetic Pokémon before while trailing Ash and his friends.

"Quiet!" Meowth hissed, startling the blue-haired male. "Dis powerful Pokeymon definitely has somethin' important ta say."

"Mewtwo, what is it that you want from me?" Angie asked, the tone of her voice polite, yet impatient. "What makes me so special that you tricked me into coming here? My parents are going to be so worried!" Mewtwo calmly stared at her before strangely floating down before her and bowing.

"_I apologize for my deception, but this sacrifice was the only way,_" Mewtwo explained, standing back up to full height. "_You see, after learning about the foolishness of Team Rocket joining forces with an organization with darker intentions than theirs, it was time I put myself to the test._" The Genetic Pokémon floated around on top of the spring's surface with his long tail casually skipping across the water. "_For years, I've travelled around the world to search for my life's meaning. I used to have an intense hatred for humans, thinking that they were nothing but weaker life forms that knew nothing else but greed and selfishness._"

"That's kind of scary to hear that from you," Angie commented, frightened by the thought that this powerful creature before him hated humans like her. "W-What are you going to do to me if you hate humans?"

"_You misunderstand; that was before he showed me the true value of life, clone or no clone,_" Mewtwo clarified. "_It was thanks to him that it was time for me to search for my own definition of life. How was I to appreciate life, even as a Pokémon created by selfish humans? You see, I was considered by them as an all-powerful creation, cloned from the legendary Mew itself._" Mewtwo noticed the frightful, astonished expression Angie had been displaying, but he knew that it was in her nature to receive temporary shock to such revelations. He saw her nod despite her speechless look, showing that she was still listening to his every word.

"Mewtwo, I believe it is time now for you to explain why she is here," Looker suggested.

"_I understand,_" Mewtwo replied with a curt nod to the agent before resuming his attention upon Angie. "_Angie, even until now, I've been searching what my purpose in this world is. Even traveling here to the Sinnoh region, I have not found a true reason of my existence, but I have yet to give up on such a quest. And now with these dire worldly scenarios unfolding before my eyes, such as Giratina of the Distortion World captured and corrupted by even more despicable humans, I've come to learn that life is precious to all who are earnest in finding their own purposes in it._" He floated closer to the shore in front of Angie, his aura exuding protective benevolence that ensured the Solaceon caretaker that absolutely no harm would befall her. "_I'm convinced that my purpose here now is to help the one who changed me save this world._"

"Okay, but I still don't get it; who do you mean by 'him,' Mewtwo?" Angie asked cautiously. Much to her and the others' surprise, they all heard a soft echoing chuckle from the Genetic Pokémon. A small smile formed from his tightlipped mouth.

"_You should know him, too,_" Mewtwo replied cryptically, retaining his rare smile. "_After all, he saved you from being trapped in the spirit world before Dusknoir solved the problem with the demon that lured to there._" Angie's eyes widened drastically upon the hint. It was no surprise that he managed to read her memories considering his great psychic power, but the person he spoke highly off was a greater shock to her than ever before.

"No… way…," Angie gasped. "Ash… He's the one?" Shinx became worried from looking at her stunned condition, but one glance from Mewtwo assured the Flash Pokémon that she was in no real danger.

"_You probably think this is all a dream,_" Mewtwo began, beginning his somber explanation for Angie's assistance. "_Dreams are what motivate living beings to hope. Hope is the light that leads to faith. Faith is the power that drives them to action. You're here because you and he share many of these traits despite your different lifestyles._ _You're here to help me lend my power to him._"

"W…What?"

"_Relax, Angie, for what I have in store, you will not be the one in risk. You see, I have recently developed a new skill that I believe to be beneficial for Ash in his confrontation against the corrupted Giratina. For this new power to work, I needed to find a medium to regulate my powers through in order for them to reach him and give him strength to fight on. The medium needed to share his spirit in all aspects of it: personality, attitude, and so on. The name of this newly created technique is the 'Dream Bond.'_"

"And you think that _I'm_ the perfect medium?" Angie inquired, pointing at herself with a bewildered look on her young face.

"_Indeed you are,_" Mewtwo nodded, frowning dourly upon thinking upon the explanation of the Dream Bond's second effect. "_However, because I would have to concentrate on creating a copy of my powers through the medium's soul, my body will be left vulnerable, unable to attack or defend. One fatal hit could easily end my life and destroy the process, which would then also kill the one I'm lending my power to._" Angie, Shinx, Looker, and Team Rocket simultaneously gasped in horror; the risk of Mewtwo's move sounded just too great to follow through. "_This is why it's called the Dream Bond. If our dreams come true, we succeed. If they don't, then we both fall. The medium, however, is not at risk of death if anything should happen to me._"

"What?! But if you lose your life through this, then Ash will…," Angie trailed off, the thought of a close friend like him losing his life in the process becoming too unbearable for her to comprehend. "No! I can't do this to him, not while he has other people who love him as well!" Angie knew in her heart that he was already taken by the Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Frontier, meaning that she had no chance with him aside from being a long-distance friend. However, as his friend and as someone who held some sort of attraction to him in the past, she wanted him to be happy.

"She is right about this matter, Mewtwo," Looker advised. "If you attempt this, then there's no doubt that the Ghost Pokémon living nearby would be tempted to attack you while you are unable to fight. If we lose him now, then the world will lose its remaining hope to survive."

"Wow, to think that the main twerp could go out just like that," Jessie mumbled, sadly glancing back at her teammates. "If that actually does happen, then our complicated pursuits in trying to capture his Pikachu would have been all for naught."

"True, but then again, there's no longer a point for us to try to catch up to him and steal his Pikachu this time," James added, looking around the Sendoff Spring to emphasize his point.

"So like dat Mewtwo, our lives are empty," Meowth sighed.

"_You three and Looker, on the other hand, I don't require your services in this,_" Mewtwo announced, glancing at the four of them with sharp eyes. "_I'd recommend that you leave this place as soon as possible._"

"Why, da noive of dat cat!" Meowth growled, aggravated by the offhanded way the Genetic Pokémon dismissed him and his teammates like that. "Why I oughta…!"

"That is enough, Mewtwo is correct," Looker intervened, coming before the confused, unemployed trio. "I have my own duties to follow through as well. They involve further investigation on the Giratina case. I'm moving on to the museum in Eterna City to research any possible information to stop its rampage."

"Please take us with you, Boxed-Lunch Guy!" the Rocket trio immediately pleaded before him on their knees. "We are forever in your debt for your delectable kindness!" Looker nodded calmly, much to their exaggerated joy.

"If you wish to help me in these matters, you are welcome to join this investigation of mine," Looker replied nonchalantly. The trio huddled together, discussing all the possible benefits they could reap from helping the International Police agent.

"This is so sweet!" Jessie exclaimed. "Not only do we get to help him out, but we might get paid for our services as well!"

"We're talkin' about da big bucks in saving humanity and all dat jazz," Meowth concurred, smirking rather greedily. Much to both of their surprise, they heard James sigh rather profoundly.

"Is trying to become rich through these odd jobs and deception all worth it right now?" James mused, his expression seemingly forlorn.

"Okay, what's up with you?" Jessie asked.

"It's hard to explain, but it's something like this, Jess," James sighed, staring into space. "After listening to Mewtwo's pursuit of life, I've been thinking about what I should do with my life now that Team Rocket's gone and Pikachu out of our reach."

"Simple, Jimmy, my boy, we help Boxed-Lunch Guy look fa clues to help save da woild!" Meowth proposed, only to be shot down by a gloomy shake of the blue-haired male's head.

"What will be there for us then?" James asked. Jessie and Meowth found themselves thinking about his question as well. "The reason I joined Team Rocket was that I could no longer tolerate the life of a high-class millionaire where everything was provided for me. It's strange, but I did not really find happiness from such wealth, only when I actually worked for it did I feel deserving of it."

"Dat and ta escape dat rich dominatrix and James' bride-ta-be, Jessiebelle!" Meowth added jokingly. Jessie looked at him inquiringly.

"Who are we talking about now?" Jessie queried, utterly confused by the constant twists and turns their conversation had been taking up.

"All in the past now, but what we have for our futures is what we choose to do," James explained. Out of the three of them, he always had the stronger morals and emotional sensitivity having grown up from a wealthy, sheltered lifestyle. He recalled many past experiences where he and his teammates and friends came to an impasse regarding their futures together. At one point during the Hoenn region, the pure adoration of a ditzy young woman from a simple village convinced him to do good deeds, a possibility he greatly valued, but regretted to take up. But even though he knew that working for Team Rocket would be considered as bad, it gave James a chance to work for building his own self, criminal or not. He had the chance to be the voice of reason, yet his submissiveness often got the better of him and allowed him to follow Jessie's and Meowth's convoluted plans instead. "As for me, I will still join the investigation in Eterna City, but after that, we're parting ways. I believe that there's an old friend waiting for me there as well."

"Da breakup from da Boss must have been harder on him dan we thought!" Meowth surmised, ridiculously tearing up that his close friend announced his breakaway right into his ears. Jessie, on the other hand, remained composed and approached her longtime teammate.

"Listen, James, I know that we've shared many experiences, both the good and bad, together from the moment we graduated from Team Rocket Academy, but please know this," Jessie requested earnestly, having taken into consideration that his sagacious proposals did shed light on what she could do with her life. "Every little thing that has led up to this point has made as strong. We protected the world from devastation in the past. We denounced the evils of truth and love. When we were together as Team Rocket, we felt invincible as we finally found where we belonged, twerp or no twerp." She suddenly brought James close in for a hug, only to slightly kiss him on the cheek, much to his sheepish embarrassment. "James, it was… a blast to work alongside you."

"I feel the same way," James whispered back softly, only to be pulled out of a heartwarming hug into a nearly fatal strangle by his female teammate. "Uh, Jessie…?"

"If you tell anyone else about this, I will hunt you down and give you the punishment of a lifetime," Jessie threatened with a venomous tone completely opposite from her earlier behavior. James nodded vigorously out of fear, to which Jessie calmed down and smiled back contentedly. "Boxed-Lunch Guy, I think we're ready."

"Very well then," Looker nodded, waiting for them to catch up to him. As they were about to leave, they felt Mewtwo's power flare up from behind them.

"_You should know that the moment you leave this area, your memories of my existence will be erased as a failsafe for my own personal protection,_" Mewtwo warned, his sharp eyes glowing; the thickness of the fog covering the surrounding forest increased in conjunction to his power. "_You are otherwise free to live your lives the way you want to._"

"We understand and we thank you for giving us the hope to saving our futures," Looker replied, genteelly bowing while gesturing the Rocket trio to bow alongside him. "This is good-bye, Mewtwo."

"Have a nice life!" the trio called out as they went into the mist-covered forest, waving back to the Genetic Pokémon and Angie.

"You know, I was wondering why you didn't just simply teleport them out of the Sendoff Spring," Angie remarked. Mewtwo shrugged unconcernedly.

"_They didn't ask,_" Mewtwo replied simply. "_But to more important matters, the Dream Bond is the only way to help give Ash the further strength to his own. Risks must be taken, young woman._"

"But then, won't I be partly responsible if something happens to him?"

"_The moment he had set foot in the Orre region, his life was already placed at risk,_" Mewtwo explained sternly. "_This must be done. I feel it as my responsibility to lend my strength to him, to help guarantee the survival for all living beings building their individual purposes. At least here, I feel that my life does have real meaning after all._" Angie and Shinx were left astounded. His dedication to life was strong, if not passionate. To believe that someone once cold and misanthropic as he was proved capable of such judgment and decisions, they felt that they owe it to him for making it this far in this life. Unlike his existence, that was no secret.

"Mewtwo, you can count us in," Angie affirmed at last, a daring grin forming on her face. "If someone does try to attack you, then Shinx will scare them off."

"Shinx Shinx!" Shinx barked readily, sharing Angie's confidence.

"_It shall begin very soon,_" Mewtwo concluded, the psychic glow of his body radiating and lighting up the entire Sendoff Spring. "_When the final confrontation comes, my power within him will awaken and guide him to victory._"

* * *

**And there you have it. I'll admit that it was rather fun writing up this chapter at my free time. It's funny, but whenever Kamon/Silver comes to mind, I always imagine his rocking theme song playing in my head. I'll admit that he does have good taste in music. And just to clarify, Kamon is fifteen to sixteen years of age, making him two years younger than Ash. For some reason, though, I'm not too worried about chronology. Ash's venture into Anabel's mind can wait another chapter. You will know what that day will be when it's posted.  
**

**As for why Mewtwo's newly developed power is given its name, it's mainly due to the fact that this process involves Angie, who I concern to be a rather perfect resemblance to Ash; that and I couldn't think of anyone else to fill that role. Their pairing name, MorpheusShipping, is partly the inspiration of Mewtwo's power as Morpheus is said to be god of dreams. And sleeping in class or not, I used this favored pairing of mine the most that I could have gotten out of it. **

**Aside from those, I have made more subtle references to the main anime, the Poké****mon Chronicles season, and the upcoming Heart Gold and Soul Silver Versions. Try to find them for a good laugh.  
**

**I hope that you will find the time to review this chapter. What are your thoughts, questions, and concerns about it?**

**Ciao!**


	38. Tainted

**Well, today is the day. That is right, everybody. March 14 is my birthday, which also happens to be the day when **_**Heart Gold**_** and **_**Soul Silver Versions**_** are to arrive in America and be sold to the many die-hard Pokémon fans waiting in line for a copy. Lucky, huh? That would probably be the only birthday gift I want right now, that and to be done with winter semester already, but no worries. I probably won't have much time to play it considering that I'm still busy as a second-semester college freshman would be.**

**And I only changed my profile picture back to a picture of Paul only because I miss having him as my main "representative" for this site. =P**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**He was weak and helpless. He was rendered into a state that he had sworn that he would never ever fall back into if his life depended on it. He was barely conscious as he was being carried off by his upper torso, feet dragging inertly on the cold, stone-tile floor. His long bangs were hanging loosely over his forehead, swaying in direction according to the forced pull by his captors. He felt drained of his energy, unable to even flex a single finger. Even if he had energy to move, he could not break free from his current dilemma as a binding straitjacket tinted with a shade of spring green bound his upper body. It was also because of this strange restraining garment that he felt his own power leave him.

_What… What happened…?_ he thought, his cold black-pupil eyes dilated and pale. As he tried to remember how he ended up in his situation, he recalled a numbing pain in between his legs while the last thing he saw was the youthful face of a smug, bubbly little girl before dropping out like a lead weight. _Ugh…_

"Hey, he's finally awake," the captor on his left muttered over him to the other soldier holding onto him.

"Perfect timing," the other Peon grunted. "At least now he will get to meet his roommates firsthand before we throw him in there."

_R… Roommates…?_ His head throbbed as the pain sharpened upon his mental process of thinking. The pain nearly caused him to black out again, but with new awareness of his situation, his iron will prevented him from losing control over his consciousness. He was carried a fairly short distance before coming to a complete stop. His vision was still blurred, but it had gradually cleared up and was able to decipher a familiar figure right in front of him.

"Welcome to the Reverse-Cipher Key Prison, Paul," the calculating, sinister man greeted. The cold shadiness of his voice brought a jolt to Paul's memory; he remembered encountering him back in Team Rocket HQ months ago when he barged in looking for answers about his Shadow Fearow. "My name is Stein Albertio and I'm here to explain your new accommodations. Pay attention for I will only explain this once."

"Y… You," Paul groaned, straining to adjust his head up and look at the Admin scientist with two strange bangs hanging off the center of his widow's peak. "You deranged, pathetic lowlife…"

"I could say the same thing about you, but unlike you, I display the proper manners in dealing with guests," Stein sneered, revealing a strange black scanner device in one hand. "But since you've been quite a thorn on Reverse-Cipher's side for a while now, I can't help but feel honored to have finally caught you. Now we shall see what makes you tick."

"And how are you going to do that?" Paul inquired coldly. Two more Reverse-Cipher Peons walked right past him, each carrying three Poké Balls in their hands with robotic reverence. The stunning realization upon sight of those six Poké Balls struck Paul greatly as he attempted, but to no avail, to break out of his captors' hold. More proof was presented to him when he felt his own waist being lighter without his Poké Balls back in his pants pockets. "Give those back to me now!"

"Let's see what we've got here," Stein chuckled insidiously, activating his Poké Ball scanner. The Peons presented the six spherical containment units orderly in a neat row, lined up for the Admin scientist to analyze. He started on the left; the scanner released a violet light that encircled the first of Paul's Poké Balls. "Hmm, a Torterra, eh? And a mighty and experienced one at that, too. I guess it's safe for me to say that this Torterra is your starter Pokémon after seeing all this garnered power, huh? Not bad for a brat…"

"Don't you _dare_ touch Torterra's Poké Ball," Paul hissed warningly, his Peon captors holding him back easily. He tried to kick off, but was forced to watch helplessly as Stein analyzed and identified the strength of his five other Pokémon.

"So you have a Magmortar, Ursaring, Aggron, Honchkrow, and Claydol in addition; not a bad team selection, if I may say so myself," Stein remarked, smirking rather eerily. "Aside from Claydol, these Pokémon have not tasted the delicious power of the darkness. I'm sure that they'll make wonderful additions to Reverse-Cipher's Shadow Pokémon army."

"You'll _what_?!" Paul growled, his piercing black eyes widening in apprehensive horror. He thought that he was behind such nonsense, but somehow it always managed to catch back up to him. Fear had insidiously taken hold of him, fear of losing his powerful Pokémon and most trusted allies. The worst part for Paul was that he feared over losing the only creatures that he had begun to respect beyond their sheer brute force and versatile abilities. "You wouldn't…"

"Don't worry about it, Paul," Stein reassured callously, suppressing a rather maniacal chuckle through his teeth. He stroked the red tops of his Poké Balls gently and rather possessively, pressing the surly Trainer to the point where death would look like the better alternative that to deal with such matters. "You'll be the first to witness their rebirth into the darkness, after a little experimentation on Claydol in order to destroy the automatic immunity that is created after a Pokémon is liberated from the ShadowPokérus. It will be thanks to your contributions that we will have the ultimate army of Pokémon to serve our will."

"You bastard…," Paul muttered, his head hanging low and entire body trembling from the flaring, building anger within his hardened, unstable heart. Stein merely grinned without an ounce of empathy for his situation; emotions were completely useless for the strong and ambitious. A sudden jerk of his head revealed his death-staring, frigid black eyes hidden underneath his bangs. "You _bastard_!" If the Peon captors were not holding onto him as tightly as they were, the furious young man would have broken out of their grasp and seek his bloody revenge.

"Take the brat away to his playmates," Stein ordered in a tone of black mercy for the prisoner. The detached scientist watched with a triumphant smirk as one of the constant thorns on Reverse-Cipher's side, otherwise known as Paul, was forcibly dragged into a prison cell that contained a few more of Reverse-Cipher's most stubborn prisoners. "You were careless to challenge us at a frontal assault. Maybe next time you'll be smart and remain with your little friends, _if_ there is a next time for you. Master Ardos will be so pleased."

Stein coolly strutted out of the prisoner-guarded room with Paul's six Poké Balls on hand for further experimentations. A Reverse-Cipher Peon and his normal Houndour were left behind to act as the main guards for their worst prisoners. Though the two of them took pride in tormenting their miserable, lifeless captives, the soldier wondered how the latest prisoner would react to his new playmates. He and Houndour stepped into the shadows casted from the thick concrete walls, observing impassively for possible interaction between prisoners.

At the meantime, Paul was lying on the ground, significantly beaten and wounded both physically and emotionally. Reverse-Cipher had definitely made sure that the surly young man was unable to fight back, having both restricted his physical movements and giving him the sore beating of a lifetime. The pain was something Paul had grown accustomed to, however, which only made the punishment more bearable to him. He tolerated all obstacles in his way in order to take them down. In this case, however, his strength and will had been drained. Darkrai's power was locked away and repressed within him while all of his Pokémon were taken away from him due to the ambitious criminal organization's anticipatory preparations and counterattacks. In this state, the impossible had nearly taken place. Paul was rendered despondent and defeated, his young body unresponsive to its current surroundings.

_What do I do now…?_ Paul thought tiredly, eyes half opened and vivid. He noticed that someone was casting a shadow upon him; he was not alone in the prison cell.

"Looks like these lowlifes finally captured a twerp, Hutch," an unpleasant female voice remarked dryly. Jagged, distasteful coughing was heard after the female prisoner's comment, muttering something about changing his name if he would ever escape this grim predicament. Paul became curious; perhaps there might be something he could learn to his benefit and possible escape. He managed to find the strength to kneel up at least, discovering three more prisoners sitting by the corners of the cell aside from the first two captives and a strange emaciated man lying inertly on his back.

"I wouldn't bother with Professor Sebastian, kid," the androgynous, severely thin prisoner in the middle of the other two unknown prisoners spoke up. "If it's any consolation, these creeps have given him mercy by letting him pass on."

"He was a man who knew true loyalty, something these Reverse-Cipher bastards know absolutely _nothing_ about!" the muscular, thinning blond man next to his androgynous friend declared heatedly.

Furrowing his brow in curiosity, Paul took a closer glimpse upon the three prisoners under the dim lighting of the cell, finally seeing a blond-haired young woman curled up tightly with her knees to her chest as though her spirit was broken continuously and beyond repair, whimpering quietly like a helpless baby. He took quick glances around, seeing the first two prisoners whose voices he heard to be wasting away, yet still alive. Despite such squalor conditions the prison cell had provided, the majority of the prisoners were still alive; he immediately learned though that living here, however, was a fate far worse than immediate execution just by looking at their pathetic conditions. The first female prisoner that found Paul lying in front of the bleak iron bars, revealed to have graying gold hair from the muted lighting, was pulling her sick green-haired partner with the rasping voice close to the other three prisoners huddled by the dank shadows of the cell. As they went past the dim spotlight, Paul quickly noted a particular familiarity of their clothing. The front of their shirts all had imprinted red Rs that were torn up and eroded over time and constant abuse.

"All of you… you're from the disbanded Team Rocket," Paul mumbled in a stunned whisper. _This is going to be some prison sentence alright…_

_

* * *

_Everything has been set into place. There was no one within miles on where they had located themselves. It would have been a best move if he worked on the memory recovery process uninterrupted as much as possible. They were far away from Pyrite Town, having attempted to find some sort of safe haven within the Orre region's vast desert. Fortunately for Ash, he and his Lucario managed to find an Oasis Poké Spot within short distance from where they had last escaped. He carefully moved Anabel's body, along with her unconscious Espeon, to that suitable location to begin the procedure.

The crystalline waters sparkled placidly, waves pushing and pulling along the wind's whim. The small population of oasis-dwelling Pokémon watched in worrisome silence from the shadows of the lush flora. Lying before the grassy peninsula reaching out to the center of the water was Anabel, still unconscious and unaware of her present state after the Pyrite Colosseum incident. Watching over her, Ash reaffirmed the plan of outside defense with Pikachu, Lucario, and Gallade; the latter still displayed signs of strong free will, which meant there was still some time left before Anabel could wake up.

"So this is it then," Ash surmised in the huddle. "I'll enter her mind and bring back her true self while you guys make sure nothing happens to our bodies here."

"_Understood,_" Gallade muttered somberly, glancing down at the rather peaceful Salon Maiden still dressed in the lavender and crimson lascivious attire she would never otherwise choose to wear. Pikachu and Lucario grunted readily alongside him, both immediately hopping to their decided positions. Lucario stayed at one side next to Anabel while Pikachu was chosen to oversee Espeon's current state and determine the possibility of the Sun Pokémon waking up.

"I guess it's time to get started," Ash spoke up, kneeling by her head and gently placed a hand upon her pale, bare forehead. His fingertips started to emanate a mild blue light, radiating against Anabel's skin.

"_I have last words for you, Master Ash,_" Gallade intervened calmly, before the process of entering her mind went further. Ash glanced up to him solemnly and nodded for the Blade Pokémon to continue. "_Be careful as you enter her mind. I still feel the cold horrors of her tormented soul while I was enslaved and dominated by her. Don't let her shallow grief drive you to madness. Find her real soul and save her from her fabricated madness._"

"Gee, I never knew I could have done _that_ much damage to her," Ash commented, sounding somewhat scared and worried after listening to his description. Gallade merely shrugged in response. "Hmm?"

"_At least I know your heart's still in the right place after leaving her behind; that was only a test of faith and loyalty,_" Gallade explained, smirking slightly to Ash's dumbfounded reaction. "_You passed with flying colors as usual._"

"You what?!"

"_Better get a move on, hero,_" Gallade reminded him dryly; Ash never knew Gallade had that sort of sense of humor. One thing he was going to ask Anabel once she was back to normal, aside from her overall well-being, was the kind of humor she had been instilling into his former Pokémon.

"Right…," Ash mumbled, looking back down upon Anabel. The light of his aura had brightened, nearly covering her entire head and his own hand. The intensity was not strong enough to wake her; that was not the purpose for his aura anyway. Ash closed his eyes glumly after a deep calming breath, allowing the process of him entering Anabel's mind taking its natural course. "Guys, take care of my body while I'm gone, okay?"

"Pikapi, Pika Pika-chu," Pikachu affirmed, waving off to his best friend from Espeon's location inches away from his.

"Ra-Ruh," Lucario grunted resolutely with a respectful nod, placing a hand over his chest as his sign of steadfast loyalty.

Gallade merely looked at the young Aura Guardian, having already paid his own respects to his former master, and gave a curt smile that solidified his confidence in their rescue operation. Ash grinned back, albeit with a small one, and increased the output of his extraordinary aura from his hand. The light soon became too much for the others' eyes to handle. Pikachu, Lucario, and Gallade were forced to cover their entire faces with their arms, unable to see Ash off as he was about to leave his body to enter Anabel's fractured mind.

"Here I _go_!"

* * *

"…"

_Why…?_

"H… Huh…?"

_Why did you…?_

"Uh, 'why did I' what?" Ash mumbled dazedly. The young Aura Guardian felt his head throb and ache. He attempted to move a finger, but quickly discovered that the rest of his body felt unresponsive for the first few seconds from the moment that he stirred. His vision had also been restored, yet the sight before his eyes seemed so surreal. Sitting up on a transparent floor, he discovered that the entire background of his location could be described simply as a dreamscape filled with varying shades of violet swirling like a whirlpool while at the same time flow together like waves in an ocean. At his left and right, there hovered several rectangular screens that were lined up together in two neat rows; it gave off the impression that he was in a bizarre art museum. One of the screens near Ash was filled with black-and-white static, but the picture soon cleared up and revealed a voice asking a familiar question.

_Why did you leave…?_ a forlorn, familiar voice asked, her voice palpably tormented in despair. The screen revealed to Ash as he watched the familiar setting of an Oasis Poké Spot. The black-and-white screen gradually faded to black as the melancholic wail echoed. Ash remained rooted in his spot, a sharp sensation rupturing his heart without a physical trace.

"Was that…?"

"One of Anabel's memories? Yes," a different, deeper voice finished; this new presence had, no doubt, startled Ash off the floor and into a mock defensive fighting stance. The calm being that was standing over him just now looked almost like him in terms of facial traits and black hair. However, this young man was a few inches taller than Ash, his black hair was longer, his matured eyes had amber-sparkling pupils, his entire body was sinewy, and he sported a rather lavish black cloak with gold-lined trimmings. His deep blue attire within the cloak resembled the modest, rugged uniform of Aura Guardians of the past; Ash recognized it from learning a brief history lesson from Riley back in Iron Island.

"Who are you?" Ash demanded, his apprehension having not settled down from the being's sudden appearance. "And why do you look like an older version of me?!"

"Here, I exist only as a fragment of Anabel's mind," he replied tranquilly. "I am nothing more than a memory that has lost its way." His eloquent and complicated rhetoric patterns confused Ash even more, yet the young Aura Guardian strangely understood the underlying meaning his older doppelganger had inferred. "I am the part of Anabel's mind that must bring order back to this place."

"How will you do that?" Ash asked coolly, calming down even though he did not trust this stranger to help rescue Anabel. "What's going on here?"

"I am certain that you are well-aware of the dark one, her malicious personality, as you had confronted her not too long ago in the outside world," the guardian memory explained. "She broke free under Anabel's vulnerability and desolation and took control of her body, locking away her inner soul in her place. She still has total control, even after you had defeated her in the outside world."

"But how is that possible, even after I forced myself to blast her into unconsciousness?"

"Anabel repressed all her carnal desires and negative influences into one concentration for better control," the memory continued. "However, it was a huge risk that she chose to take upon herself. If she had ever lost control over her dark side, the darkness would ultimately consume her heart."

"I see," Ash said, taken aback as the explanation began to settle into understanding comprehension. "Then what are you doing here? And what's your name? My name is Ash if you didn't know that already." He extended a friendly hand out to the guardian memory, who merely took hold slightly and shook back brusquely before taking his own hand back.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that, Ash," he replied somberly, much to the young Aura Guardian's impatience. He looked up to the lilac void above their heads, calmly swirling over their heads. "I represent a figure that Anabel has met at some point earlier in her life, but ever since her darkness came to dominance sometime after, I cannot remember who I truly represent. If I was someone powerful in body and mind, I might have stood a chance against her dark side. But in my current state of missing identity, I cannot match her power and save Anabel."

"Well, you look a lot like me, but older," Ash pointed out, scratching his chin contemplatively though the thought process was already wearing him out. "Man, I would give you other leads, but I don't know who else you could be that Anabel met. I'm certain she told me all kinds of people she met, but I don't recall her telling me about anyone that resembles you."

"Hmm, while I appreciate your effort on finding my fragmented identity, you have an important task ahead of you," the memory advised, sternly placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Your power, I sense it behind it all."

"What?"

"It is strange, but with you here, some of Anabel's recollection had restored itself automatically. Were you somehow involved with the sealing of her memory?" he inquired. Ash looked down in gloom, the guilt of his past actions resurfacing yet again. Though he managed to control his emotions whenever it was brought up, he felt the pangs of remorse tearing away within him once again.

"I thought she would be safer if I broke all her ties with me, including her memory," Ash explained in a meek, rather shameful whisper. "I'm really sorry about all this." Though the young Aura Guardian was dealing with an incorporeal manifestation of one of Anabel's memories, he felt the memory's hand upon his shoulder tense in anger before relaxing and pulling away a second later.

"It is all coming back; I know who you truly are now," the guardian memory announced, his expression suddenly austere. "You're Ash Ketchum, the young man Anabel had fallen in love with, but broke away from her out of sheer doubt over her safety."

"Do you really have to rub that in?"

"Never mind that now. Now I understand. Come with me to rectify your foolish mistakes of breaking her heart. _You_ must be the one to set her mind back into place while placing her dark side under restraint."

Led by the stern and possible mature personification of himself, Ash walked into line alongside the guardian memory down the wide and surreal lavender hallway. They passed several screens on the side; they activated upon passage, revealing short, disconnected portions of Anabel's various memories. Ash got sporadic glimpses of her past, understanding parts of her her innocent, lonely childhood with Lucian in Verdanturf Town, as he and the guardian memory had soon come across a spiraling staircase that lacked safety rails at the end, whose translucent silver steps seemed to be floating over nothing. He glanced upward, unable to find the end of the erroneous stairs. Encouraged by a brief nod from the memory, Ash placed his own thoughts of fatigue and followed the guardian memory up the staircase.

The young Aura Guardian, though scared and unsure upon the moment he climbed the stairs, could not be enjoying himself more as it was. Though he was exploring unfamiliar territory whose physical laws seemed to be ignored as often as that of the Distortion World's, Ash's courageous spirit of adventure gave him reason and strength to press onward. As he kept his steps in line as to not fall off the ascending spiraling stairs, Ash felt more and more empowered to conquer Anabel's problem over her darkness. His inspiration, in reality, grew from watching more memory screens floating alongside the spiral staircase as he climbed, depicting deconstructed moments of Anabel's career as a Trainer and her becoming a Frontier Brain for the Kanto region. He saw firsthand of her goals to becoming recognized outside of her older brother's shadow and to bond with all different kinds of Pokémon she would meet. His doubts disappeared without a trace; his heart became less burdened and more persistent. He knew what must be done to save the one who loved him, whose feelings he managed to reciprocate upon due time and have come to recognize as something he could not move on without.

"Is there an end to this staircase?" Ash groaned, thinking that they had ascended several stories from the ground they were once on. He had the nerve to take a glimpse downward, only to discover that a boundless lavender void had taken the place of the bottom. "… Uh…"

"The door will appear once you feel ready to engage the dark side in one final standoff," the memory explained offhandedly.

"But I _am_ ready to fix this," Ash replied edgily, frowning slightly. "If these stairs continue on any further, I'm going to lose my remaining nerve. Man, I think I'm actually more worried about falling off here than stopping the darkness."

"We're here," the guardian memory interrupted. Ash bumped into him from behind, staggering on his feet to keep his balance as they had somehow reached a small, lucid, lilac platform with a uniquely decorated black door at the middle. The purple edged rims and corners were shaped like thorny roots from a forest poisoned in despondency. The wood that seemed to have made up the door had the color of a decaying black oak. Even within a few inches from the door, the two of them were able to sense the miserable vibe it gave off.

"That looks about right, I guess," Ash remarked, noting how the dark doorway completely contrasted from everything else within Anabel's reserved, clean mind. "So once I pass through, this will be like the 'point of no return' or something like that?"

"That is correct," the guardian memory concurred. "Ash, you are the only one capable of stopping her and freeing the true Anabel. Once you do defeat her dark side for good, all will be restored to the way it is supposed to be, including myself."

"Right," Ash nodded, advancing forward and placed a hand on the door knob. He felt his chest constrict in apprehension and excitement; he felt the former for decisive decision while the latter came from believing that he was capable of saving Anabel. He had not turned the knob yet. "Hey, will I be able to know who you are supposed to be? Are you really supposed to be me or another person from Anabel's life?"

"I look very similar to you, but there is only one you, Ash," the guardian memory replied, smiling genteelly. "As for my true identity, you are welcome to come back and find me to know more, assuming that Anabel would allow you back into her mind. But I know her well enough that privacy is of great importance to her and how willful she could be about it." He chuckled briefly to himself, dissolving into an ethereal green and purple wisp before Ash's widened eyes. "_Remember what she loves the most…_"

"What she loves… the most," Ash repeated in a mumble, facing the rotten, dark door before him.

The guardian memory's last words were as vague as always, but Ash kept them close in mind in hopes for clues to free the Salon Maiden. He tightened his fist and kept his head held high in confidence. With a slight twist of his wrist, he turned the door knob and opened the dark doorway for himself. As far as Ash could see from his standpoint, the world beyond the doorway was pitch-black; light could not cut through the darkness. The chilling darkness invited him to explore and confront it at the very core. The young Aura Guardian marched in determinedly, entering the darkness of his beloved one. Ash made it in and after several steps inside, an enigmatic force caused the door behind him to be slammed shut before disintegrating into the dark.

Ash felt himself gulp involuntarily; the human anatomy definitely had the strangest way to react to certain stimuli, especially suppressed fear. He had nowhere else to go as there was nothing but darkness everywhere he looked. Shaking his head as an attempt to clear it from negative thoughts, he continued walking forward in the same direction from the start before the door disappeared. He had reached the point of no return, as he called it, and hoped that something would take place before his will could fail on him and render him scared stiff. As he took several more steps into the pitch darkness, tiny, bright orange flames on candelabra from each side suddenly lit up. He yelped back in surprise, only for a familiar haunting laughter to echo from out of nowhere in the darkness.

"Don't tell me now that 'hero boy' is afraid of a little fire," the sadistic voice taunted, much to Ash's frustration. "Come on forward and don't be afraid of the ritual-like arrangements of the candelabra."

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Ash retorted heatedly, immediately running forward and past the first set of lit candelabra. "Here I come, whoever you are!"

Several more candle flames lit up as he ran down in a straight line. The light emanating from the small candles were somehow strong enough to illuminate the setting of the world of Anabel's dark side. As soon as Ash recognized what the world looked like, he stopped in place and examined the entire vicinity, horrorstruck. The place he was trapped in looked like an occultist church in the night time. An eerie violet glow shone down upon various stained glass windows high up, their spotlight reflections upon the cold stone floor given a ghastly vibe. Ash noted the common figure depicted in the stained glass windows was the same individual whose statues up ahead were made in _her_ likeness. He soon discovered from his position at the center of a row of pews with candelabra placed at the sides that a familiar vicious character, illuminated by the sinister violet light within the darkness, sat upon a crimson velvet throne up ahead past the statues, poised with one leg hanging over the other.

"That's Mama D'ana to you, Ashy-boy," she corrected teasingly, cackling rather devilishly as she stood up. Ash felt his body tense up in anger; he knew that he would have had to face her again here, only this time she had the home advantage. D'ana stepped off her high throne, walking down to the lowly area of the pews and candelabra where Ash was. "Now come to Mama and she'll take care of you _really_ well."

"D'ana, where's Anabel?!" Ash demanded instantly in a raging fit. "This is _her_ mind, not yours!" D'ana shrugged nonchalantly, pointing to a dark corner of her cultic realm. There sat the real Salon Maiden hugging her knees to her chest and face buried within her hands. There was nothing keeping her bound there, but the fact that her despair had paralyzed her to that spot was such a pitiful moment to Ash as he found her.

"Curled up right over there like the hopelessly heartbroken baby she is," D'ana answered without hesitation, smirking without a care. "Little Anabel was too weak to go on, all because of idiotic men like you."

"Me?!"

"However, I guess I also have you to thank for rendering her this powerless," D'ana continued, wagging her finger with a demeanor of playful sin. "If you hadn't taken away her only source of happiness, which is _you_, then I might not have ever gotten free to stretch my legs and rule over weak men with a heart as cold as ice."

"Which is why I'm here to stop you for good!" Ash declared firmly.

"Uh uh uh! Not so fast there, little man," D'ana announced, gesturing him to stop with her hand outstretched in front. "Don't think that I'll allow you to put me back into my place that easily. Even though you did cause my host misery, I'm doing better than ever without her useless morality getting in my way."

"I still don't understand how you could have easily taken control of Anabel like that," Ash muttered, frowning until a strange thought came to his mind. "Wait a minute… Where's Cresselia? Shouldn't she have stopped you?" D'ana's lascivious grin only widened rather malevolently upon the mention of the Lunar Pokémon.

"Cresselia didn't have to do a thing because Anabel already stopped her," D'ana clarified, cackling at the thought of the plight. At that moment, the clanking of chains could be heard reverberating above their heads. Ash quickly looked up to discover an organic, spherical cage being lowered down to the wall on his right by a mechanism of chains. The captive within that horrible cage was none other than Cresselia herself.

"_Ash, beware the temptations of the dark one!_" Cresselia warned. Her telepathic voice, however, was muffled slightly by her magical cage. Ash understood the gist of it, but could not believe what he saw before him in this rather warped dimension.

"This can't be real," Ash mumbled, gritting his teeth hard at the dire circumstances. He heard D'ana cackle again at his frustration, deriving some sort of twisted pleasure from his pain as usual.

"When you broke up with Anabel, the moment that goody-goody Pokémon tried to heal her emotional pain, Anabel used her own power to seal her away, believing that she was beyond anyone's help if she couldn't have you," D'ana explained nastily. "What a wonderfully extreme turn of events, wouldn't you say so too?"

"Knock it off!" Ash shouted during her insidious laughter, yet she did not stop. He looked back up to the trapped Lunar Pokémon watching helplessly from above in her cruel confinement. The images of Anabel curled up to her knees in despondence along with Cresselia trapped and powerless infuriated him just enough. "D'ana, this ends here! I challenge you for Anabel's freedom!" D'ana stopped laughing only to nastily snort at his declaration for a final battle.

"As you wish, _my_ Ash," D'ana sneered. "And should you lose this bout to me, not only does Anabel remain under my power, but you shall remain here in my world as my slave and lover for the rest of eternity. But I guess you would mainly be my slave considering your pathetic, traitorous acts against me."

"The only one I betrayed was Anabel; you, on the other hand, have no right to interfere."

"Au contraire, Ash, I _am_ Anabel, just her darker and more uninhibited part of her," D'ana smirked keenly, eyeing the young Aura Guardian lustfully. "With you here, some of her memories restored themselves with that attractive aura you radiate. I can remember how much Anabel, or should I say _I_, loved, nay _wanted_, you."

"The _real_ Anabel was never like that!" Ash argued back intensely. "She would have waited for the proper time for when we could have gotten closer than ever."

"Please, you don't know the 'real' Anabel as well as I do; she wanted to screw both those rules of remaining as a hopelessly pure maiden until after marriage _and_ you," D'ana replied bluntly, grinning sinfully, much to Ash's horrified and rather exaggerated disgust. "She wanted no one else but you after she met you at the Battle Tower. All those other challengers meant nothing to her, but you took the time to get to know her instead of just immediately challenging her for the Ability Symbol. She taught you her own personal ideals because she finally knew what she wanted after hanging out with you and your silly little friends."

"That's enough, D'ana," Ash growled, keeping his cool instead of lashing out into a fervent bellow, but the boiling level was nearing close to that line again. "Anabel was who she was: the Salon Maiden of the Battle Tower, a great friend, a powerful opponent, and… the one I truly care for in these dark times! You are _nothing_ like her! Now let's battle!"

"Very well," D'ana sighed, retaining her malicious grin. She clapped twice, causing the rows of pews to move aside and allowing the middle empty row covered by a long scarlet rug to expand itself into a Pokémon battlefield; this was her world, after all, and she willed for the proper settings for the battle that Ash solely desired to have. The real Anabel was still left in the corner despite the slight structural changes, drowning in her own gloom. Cresselia's appalling cage was placed on the ground, at the side where referees would stand to make their judgments for each round.

"Can you also at least ditch this creepy church setting? This just feels wrong, even though I'm glad that there's no weird chanting in the background for some sort of hexes," Ash requested, pointing out that they were still within the violet-glowing, satanic architecture of D'ana's realm. The flames of the candelabras at the sides of the sinisterly regal battlefield went out before reigniting into corrupt, purple-black flames.

"And next, I suppose you'd want Anabel to be free, correct?" D'ana suggested deprecatingly. "Let's just say that here, unlike the Pyrite Colosseum, I show my _true colors__!_" Her voice had gained a screeching, demonic edge upon the escape of last two words from her lips. Ash stepped back from the startling transformation of Anabel's dark side. He watched at the personification of her ultimate darkness grew into a mature, attractive adult woman with a curvy body and an attire similar to her previous lascivious outfit, but more revealing of her private areas, which included her larger chest, slimmer stomach, and curvaceous legs and behind. Her lilac hair had also lengthened and turned out erratic while her pupils were blood-red and slitted. Though Ash could not fight the urge to stare at her new enticing body, he knew in his heart that this was unnatural and just plain wrong.

"You're a total witch!" Ash remarked in dismayed shock.

"_Compliments can only get you far with me,_" D'ana replied, winking back seductively while showing off her rather distracting new personage before the young Aura Guardian. "_Ready for one more round with me?_"

* * *

**Okay, so I know I said that Anabel would be saved in this chapter, but recent exams and projects caused me to lose track of time. I did promise to have my next chapter posted on my birthday, so this was nothing more than a minor setback. No big deal, right? After all, you all were able to wait this long just for my updates, and to top it off, most of you probably waited for **_**Heart Gold **_**and **_**Soul Silver**_** to come out. Speaking of which, with the protagonists receiving English names of Ethan and Lyra, what could be the real name for rival Silver? Is it just "Silver" or the fan-chosen "Kamon"?**

**The concept for the guardian memory actually came from a Private Message from fellow author, Aeron Solo, so credit truly belongs to him. Help him out as he was eager to help me in the past; I didn't think I would actually use this idea since I already have the entire story planned out, but it couldn't hurt to try. It was actually supposed to be an ancient Aura Guardian, but I did not want to introduce too much if I was not going to use him again. Anyway, if he was someone Anabel met in the past, will there be a possibility for a prequel for **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**? (Spoiler, if I may say…)**

**Anyway, the evilest thing I could have come up with to accurately describe a battle against darkness is the occult. I warn you to **_**never**_** mess with such things; they will screw with your head. There is a proper reason to stay away from such misled practices for truth. Don't deal with anything you can't hope to understand beyond reason. I might have scared you all with this stuff, as have I scared myself. =P But this is all in Anabel's head, beyond her control as the suspenseful battle will begin once I have the time to write freely again.**

**I hope you will find the time to review this chapter. What are your thoughts, concerns, and questions about it?**

**Ciao! **


	39. Revelation

**Hello. I'm back, for now at least. I've finished my winter semester and first year of as a university student with satisfactory results, at least that's what I keep telling myself, but I digress. Anyway, I'll continue working on this story as much as I can, but I'll most likely be busier sometime in the future. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy this break from school.**

**Still, it's hard how me to get back to this after a long time, so if there's any mistakes that somehow alluded my sight, then I'm most likely losing it. At some point during my absence, I've even considered discontinuing **_**the Stardom series**_** after everything that's been going on in my life so far. I'm really no one special; I'm just like everyone else, which was when I considered discontinuing my duration here in this site. Well, enough of my ramblings. **

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**

The Sinnoh region, at a certain generalized global scale, was relatively peaceful and calm. The same, however, could not be said for Sandgem Town, home to the regional professor's laboratory. A few of Professor Rowan's lab aides were heading in and out of the significant building, carrying on about a growing crisis unfolding elsewhere in the world. There was, without a doubt, that much debate on future action took place within Rowan's laboratory, considering that while the current state of Sinnoh's future was bright, the tide was liable to change due to ascertained factors of their problem. After all, even three powerful and elite Trainers had to make their presence known in the simple façade of Sandgem Town as they stood out in front and watched the hectic lab workers running in and out to the Pokémon Center nearby.

"It seems that we've come at a bad time, Cynthia," the leading Trainer commented. "Should we even bother him about this matter when we're strong enough to handle this plan of action ourselves?"

"We can't take any more risks by just rushing in, Lance," Cynthia replied stiffly, looking ahead at Rowan's laboratory. "We're going to need the Professor's guidance if we're to help bring peace back to this world. Don't you think so too, Lucian?" Lance momentarily frowned, glancing at their third member of their small group. Lucian looked impassive, but was ready to reply back rather politely to the Sinnoh Champion.

"This _is_ one of Sinnoh's creatures we're dealing with now; if you believe that Professor Rowan has even the slightest idea on preserving the balance of nature then by all means go for it," Lucian explained curtly. Cynthia sighed worriedly at her colleague's cool tone while Lance looked particularly displeased.

"Lucian, just because your sister and her friends have been putting their lives on the line for this world doesn't mean that you should continue sulking over her safety," Lance brought up coolly, gesturing with his arms for Lucian to ease up on his terse tongue. "I'm pretty sure that Anabel is safe and that Ash and Paul are watching each other's backs as we speak."

"You know, 'pretty' is just one way to describe her, but it never stays for long," Lucian pointed out understatedly. "Are you not entirely certain over your own probability? I wouldn't blame you, considering that you're no psychic but an uppity, raging Dragon Tamer."

"Listen, you pompous bookworm—!"

"Enough, the both of you!" Cynthia intervened, forcing herself between the two quarreling elite Trainers to back off from each other before the conflict could have escalated into another physical confrontation. She glowered sharply at Lance first. "As I've told you before, jumping in before we could learn more about the factors would cost us more precious time, which is why we're here visiting Rowan in the first place." Cynthia turned her head the other way, glaring at Lucian next. "And worrying about your sister should be the least of your worries right now, especially since she's shown us how much she has grown from being with her man. What about us? We have roles to follow through too!"

Both Lance and Lucian guiltily looked away from Cynthia, filled with regret over their own conflicting actions as she had solely revealed. The two elite Trainers faced each other rigidly as a sign of past battles and hardening experience, looking at the other in the eye before nodding synchronously as to let bygones be bygones. A repaired friendship between colleagues was signified with a strong handshake. Cynthia smiled and exhaled a relaxed sigh at the sight of their strong reconciliation.

"Truce," Lance and Lucian announced simultaneously, breaking out of their handshake.

"Now that I think of it, it's funny how the greatest of friends are also the strongest of rivals," Cynthia commented about the two of them. "Pushing each other beyond your limits to gain true strength and becoming the best you can become are what makes us grow together as one. If I didn't know any better, you two were probably taking lessons from Ash and Paul." Lucian and Lance exchanged widened glances before breaking off into amused smiles themselves.

"Well, I know for a fact that Ash has learned much from his encounters with the Elite Four," Lance stated.

"But it also holds true that the teacher learns just as much, if not more, from the student," Lucian concluded knowingly. "Every encounter has a reason. Every reason has a fate. We see our fates through our actions. And it is through these actions that led us to one another, thus restarting the cycle of life over and over again." He folded his arms across his chest and glanced at the placid sky above. "But the cycle never repeats itself with the same material, no. Everything new from living creatures to inanimate objects will receive a chance to find their own destinies and purposes in this life."

"I wish I could have said as beautifully eloquently as you have, my friend," Cynthia commented, smiling fondly at her Elite Four colleague. Lucian responded with a simple nod of acknowledgement.

"You've really been brushing up on your philosophic literature, haven't you?" Lance asked, smirking somewhat wryly. Lucian paid no heed to his remark, opting to walk ahead to Rowan's laboratory.

"You coming or what?" Lucian called back to his comrades, his lavender-tinted glasses reflecting a serene, yet confident stare of his eyes. Lance and Cynthia gave off quick nods before catching up to the Sinnoh Psychic Trainer by the entrance. As Lucian was about to reach for the door while the others followed him, the glass entrance abruptly opened and went aside to reveal the firm regional professor in charge. "Oh, Professor Rowan…"

"We've been expecting you to arrive around some time now," Professor Rowan announced.

"Uh, 'we,' Professor?" Lance repeated. Rowan stepped to the side as an old female professor with short graying-blond hair entered the scene from behind him. Her stern disposition softened momentarily upon spotting Cynthia.

"Grandma! I should have known you would also be stepping up!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"Yes, Professor Carolina has been a big help from the beginning," Rowan concurred, arms professionally placed behind him. "Already done with the Team Galactic case, she's now been helping me learn more about the legends concerning Giratina and any possible ways to free its heart."

"We've so far looked up files of research by one Newton Graceland, mainly regarding his findings of Giratina and its relationship with the world it lives and guards," Professor Carolina explained, glancing rather dryly at Lance. "If you haven't foreseen the measures we're taking now to stop Reverse-Cipher's madness, then you're pretty much one step behind as Champion. Even dear lil Cindy could have easily pieced this puzzle back to picture perfect before this door had opened." All three members of the Elite Four inadvertently stumbled back in embarrassment as a result of Carolina's outspoken remark.

"Grandma, that wasn't very nice," Cynthia chided lightly, giggling sheepishly on Lance's speechless behalf.

"I… uh… understand where you're going with this, Professor," Lance mumbled, grinning involuntarily. "I'll do better."

"'Lil Cindy'?" Lucian repeated incredulously, looking at the Sinnoh Champion that completely avoided eye contact from him. Cynthia snorted, much to Lucian's curiosity. The moment had cleared back into normality once Rowan gruffly cleared his throat in order to bring the main problem back on hand.

"I'm glad we got that out of our systems, what with all this seriousness and pressure," Rowan said, facing back inside his laboratory. "If you'll please follow me, we'll discuss what you need to know about calling upon the Lake trio for their help." Cynthia, Lance, and Lucian all gasped together in shock; the Sinnoh regional professor had already known their purpose for being in Sandgem Town to see him, in which the whole situation was no doubt explained by Professor Carolina.

"I figured that you kids are going on what you already know from the Sinnoh region's legends, from the ties Giratina has to Dialga, Palkia, and even the Original One itself," Carolina shrugged. "And this old lady remembers Cynthia's story of Ash and his friends confronting Team Galactic as their diabolical plans reached the climax. However, there is something you three should know even if you somehow coax the Lake trio into helping our cause." The three elite Trainers exchanged looks before leaning in close to listen for further information. "Think about this: calming the enraged deities of time and space was one thing for the Lake trio to handle. Now we're dealing with a soulless deity of antimatter trapped in infinite darkness due to the meddling of foolish, power-hungry bastards."

"Grandma, please!" Cynthia scolded. "Watch your mouth!"

"Lighten up; I know you feel the same way about Reverse-Cipher as I do."

"I know, but did you really have to use such foul language? You, a lady?" Cynthia queried. Professor Carolina sighed and reached up to her granddaughter's distraught face, stroke the side slightly before giving a quick light flick on her cheek. Cynthia did not flinch from the action.

"Cynthia, please understand that what they've done is unforgivable," Carolina replied, austerity emanating from her dour eyes. "Reverse-Cipher has not only ruined the balance of nature by abducting Giratina against its will, but now both it and the Distortion World will be in grave nature if this isn't solved immediately. The Distortion World needs Giratina to uphold its nature to coincide with our world. And Giratina itself, as a living creature representing a powerful force of nature, shouldn't be controlled by human means."

"Which is why all of us professors, including myself and Professors Oak, Elm, and Birch, are working together to further research a possible solution to save both and relay it to Ash and his group," Rowan continued for her. "I've already got word from Samuel Oak that there have been certain difficulties in the Orre region concerning the group itself, but that should clear up some time soon I hope. In the mean time, Professor Elm reported that the population of ShadowPokérus-infected wild Pokémon has drastically gone down over the past seven months thanks to assistance from a small group of dedicated Trainers that happened to also be Ash's friends. And finally, Professor Birch was certain that the shadow virus hadn't made itself into the Hoenn region."

"Fortunately, the same can be said with the Sinnoh region," Lucian added. "Those kids have really got their work cut out for them."

"That is some pretty good news so far, but I don't know how long it would last," Lance mentioned. "Right now, the only thing we're good for now is keeping peace and order in these lands while trying to get the Lake trio to help us."

"The only problem is that _we_ haven't 'synched' up with Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie like Ash, Dawn, and Brock did over more than a year ago before Team Galactic was finally brought down," Cynthia pointed out.

"Damn…"

* * *

A Honchkrow, with strangely similar scowling and rough facial caricatures as Paul, and a small handful of mindless Murkrow could be seen flying overhead at the darkened violet sky, crowing their ominous cries as a sign of forthcoming calamity. The ceiling of the lone insidious church that stood out in this horrid world had been removed as a result of the mistress' will, granting access to the murky skylight that grimly shone upon the newly created battlefield below. Several melted candelabras were situated around as part of the wicked décor as they were alit with sinister black flames. The Lunar Pokémon, Cresselia, was trapped in her spherical, organic cage placed upon the referee box; she looked upon the only hope left for them all standing at her left of the battlefield. Ash felt his heart beating loudly looking around his environment, the darkest portion of Anabel's mind; the signals of his rushing heart indicated that mortal danger was to come about.

"_Already giving up now for your own safety?_" D'ana mocked, her voice resonating as a distorted, demonic mixture of a seductive woman possessed. "_You don't have to worry about Anabel's safety now._" Ash cringed upon the mention, much to the transformed nightmare's sadistic pleasure. He quickly glanced at the same corner where the real Anabel was curled up in, stilling hugging her knees tightly to herself with her face buried within infinite despair and despondency. "_If you want, you can join her now and be happy together once more._"

"Not until I bring her out myself by banishing you out of her body for good!" Ash retorted resolutely, reflexively swinging his arm down as a show of his strength. "I'm fixing what I broke, so there!"

"_Hmph, what a lame, overrated line,_" D'ana scoffed. Ash grunted in growling frustration in return.

"Just tell me what the rules for this battle are," Ash muttered, straining to keep his temperament in control.

"_This is going to be simple enough for even you to understand,_" D'ana smirked darkly. "_After all, it's how you faced Paul early on in your Sinnoh journey as you told me._"

"A Three-on-Three Single Round Elimination?" Ash suggested.

"_With no substitutions and no time limit,_" D'ana finished. "_The one to the first two wins receives the desired ultimate prize: for you, your dear Anabel, and for me, your own liberty._"

"But wait!" Ash interrupted, a sudden thought emerging in his mind.

"_What now, clueless?_" D'ana sneered in a false sweet tone.

"I don't have any Pokémon on me!" Ash growled, desperately searching with both hands on his waist. There were no Poké Balls clipped onto his belt, no matter how hard he felt around his person.

"_Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to add in one little 'twist' as well. Because this is my world, I'll be merciful to you and let you select any Pokémon that you own._"

"Really…?" Ash queried incredulously, raising a skeptic eyebrow over her bizarre generosity.

"_However…,_" D'ana added, purposely increasing Ash's justified suspicion to mess with him even further, "_you can only select Pokémon from your team that Anabel has seen and has a firm memory upon. This is my world you're in now, and if you want to survive, you must play by my rules._"

"So I can choose any Pokémon I have on me whether on my current team or at Professor Oak's as long as Anabel fully knows their strengths and weaknesses from watching them battle?" Ash repeated for clarification.

"_Yes; don't you trust me?_" D'ana taunted, only to see a mild scowl from Ash as a result. "_I understand as I wouldn't trust me either. No one trusts a woman, not even a woman._"

"Huh?"

"_Just choose your first Pokémon, little man,_" D'ana requested tersely, giggling forebodingly to herself. Ash looked away from her and closed his eyes to meditate momentarily on his plans.

_My best bet right now is to go with my current team as D'ana, through Anabel's eyes at least, know them,_ Ash pondered calmly. _But now that I think of it, that might be what D'ana's expecting from me. Since she knows my team, she most likely knows how to counter them. Man, this is the big problem._ As the young Aura Guardian folded his arms tighter to his chest, Cresselia gazed worriedly from her imprisonment at the stressed young man.

_Please succeed, Ash,_ Cresselia thought, her emotions tied between sadness and great concern for Anabel's loved one. The Lunar Pokémon looked back at Anabel curled up in the corner, her half-open lifeless eyes barely visible over her knees. _If anything happens to you and Anabel sees this, things will only get worse._

_

* * *

_

_Nightmare Queen D'ana would like to battle!_

"_Ready to begin_?" D'ana called out, holding a cupped hand out in front of her. A bright swirl of energy emerged upon her hand and a Poké Ball materialized out of the light. Her cruel smirk formed, preparing to reel her arm back for the throw. "_Ladies first. Go, my slave!_" She tossed the Poké Ball high into the air; the device snapped open and released her first battling Pokémon, Alakazam.

"You chose Alakazam?" Ash asked, slightly startled by her decisions.

"_There's one more thing you should know, Ash,_" Cresselia intervened immediately, much to D'ana's annoyance. Ash glanced over with interest. "_No matter how strong you think your Pokémon are, in this world they're only as strong as you._"

"What does that even mean?" Ash inquired hastily.

"_It's something you should practically be familiar with already if you desire victory over me,_" D'ana answered in Cresselia's stead, giving off a sinful grin. "_Are you trying to lose on purpose just to be my love slave? If so, then choose your Pokémon already, assuming you remember what it was before Cresselia's advice. It's amazing how dense your own memory can be._"

"Here's something for you to remember. Corphish, I choose you!"

A Poké Ball formed in Ash's right hand as he focused his mind upon summoning his first Pokémon to the field. He vigorously threw it centerfield to where Alakazam stood, where the conjured containment sphere opened up and released the Ruffian Pokémon right before its opponent. The light dissipated and revealed the small red crustacean slowly clicking its pincers with a heated stare.

"Cor-Corphish," Corphish growled, staring down against the imposing Psi Pokémon.

"_Ha! And you questioned me for taste?_" D'ana scoffed, yet could not hide the fact that Corphish's appearance was completely unpredictable on the young Aura Guardian's part. "_I'll give you points for taking me by surprise, considering that you didn't choose a Pokémon like Pikachu or even Lucario on your current team. You have a whole reservoir of Pokémon back at home to choose from._"

"I guess I should be happy that bringing out Corphish was a success," Ash commented, cautiously observing the emulation of his Corphish's personality on the field was rather exact. Corphish looked pretty snippy and headstrong as it would if the Ruffian Pokémon was there in person. "Let's get on with this. Start off with BubbleBeam, Corphish!"

"Corphish-phish-phish!" Corphish shouted, throwing its pincers forward and snapped opened them at a heartbeat. Vibrant blue bubbles were launched out of its powerful appendages at high velocity, all pinpointed towards Alakazam.

_Blow them away!_

"Ala!" Alakazam grunted, its expression suddenly distorted by some sort of sharp pain. It fell to its knees and clutched its large head instead of guarding against the oncoming bubbles, much to Ash and Corphish's surprise. A sinister black aura visibly emanated out of the Psi Pokémon's body. "Ala-_kazam_!" As Alakazam bellowed loudly in the process of possession, the dark power sent out shockwaves that easily dispelled the BubbleBeam.

"What's this?!" Ash demanded, palpably aghast. "You can be turning your own Alakazam into a Shadow Pokémon! Have you really lost your mind?!"

"_What a brilliant deduction, but I must say it's false!_" D'ana cackled as her Alakazam stood back up, different than before. "_Remember when Cresselia was advising you about your Pokémon being as strong as you?_" Ash silently nodded as he grudgingly kept his mouth shut to listen. "_It may look like Alakazam has become a Shadow Pokémon, but here in my world, my will gives it strength._"

"It represents the evil we've been facing in Orre so far, the revenge of Reverse-Cipher and their ShadowPokérus," Ash mused, sensing the pattern. He noticed that as her Alakazam stood back in full height, its features were darker and more sinister. Alakazam bore the more infamous cunning traits evident through its fox-like features. Its ears were pointed and curved, the shape of its mustache took an erratic appearance, and its eyes were narrow and shifty. The rest of the Psi Pokémon's body followed the gothic style while emitting the horrible aura that represented D'ana's dominating power.

"_Now for a little heads-up demonstration: use Focus Punch!_"

"_Ala…!_" Alakazam growled, its entire body trembling with rage. It lifted its right fist holding a spoon, charging energy for the powerful attack. However, the light of the Focus Punch shone a darker shade as a result; Ash and Corphish quickly noted the change, albeit in shock. Alakazam wordlessly sprinted forward towards its opponent with its charged fist reeled back; the Psi Pokémon moved at a remarkably fast pace.

"Dodge it!"

"Cor!" Corphish yelped, scuttling and leaping away quickly as Alakazam smashed its fist on the ground right exactly where the Ruffian Pokémon originally stood. A small crater erupted from the impact, its area growing wide enough to fit Alakazam and Corphish in its space from where they were now.

"What awesome power," Ash commented, appallingly impressed by Alakazam's increased strength before shaking his head out of the reverie. "Corphish, use Crabhammer!"

"Cooooor-_phish_!" Corphish grunted as it fiercely swung a clenched pincer down upon Alakazam's head; the pincer shone a light aqua blue energy. A potent explosion took place upon the impact, pushing Corphish into the air as a result of the shockwaves. Alakazam was hidden within the smoke. D'ana smirked to herself while Ash looked worried over the state of his opponent.

"_Ala…,_" a familiar growl moaned from the clearing black smoke. Alakazam seemingly stood tall and unaffected from the strike of Corphish's Crabhammer, only to casually fall onto its back like a toppling statue. The Psi Pokémon simply laid there as though defeated, not standing back up.

"Hah! Round one goes to me and Corphish!" Ash declared proudly as his Corphish scuttled back to him. "Awesome job out there!"

"Corphish!" Corphish exclaimed in glee before abruptly dissipating into light and fading out of sight, taking the young Aura Guardian by surprise by the Ruffian Pokémon's disappearing act. D'ana's Alakazam had also disintegrated into thin air without even a trace of its metallic spoons left.

"I guess you can take a rest now, huh?" Ash chuckled to himself, remembering that he was within a different world. Despite the cold darkness that was _this_ world that threatened to engulf his soul, he stood quite optimistically against such adversity. "Not so tough, are you?" D'ana did not say a word, but continued to retain her rather disturbing smirk despite her Alakazam quickly going down.

"_You seem to be as strong as you say, but let's see you get past this one,_" D'ana replied, forming another Poké Ball in her hand to throw to the field. "_Go, my slave!_"

"Meh-ta!" Metagross bellowed, emerging from the Poké Ball in a bright flash as D'ana's second Pokémon. The moment it had set foot on the battlefield, the same dark phenomenon that affected Alakazam took control of the Iron Leg Pokémon, sharpening its red mechanical eyes and metallic claws under the connotations of the description. "_Meta…_"

_It can't be a coincidence, can it?_ Ash asked himself, startled by Metagross' appearance. He cupped his right hand and began concentrating on his second Pokémon as the Poké Ball formed in his palm. _I was going to go with either Sceptile or Tyranitar from my current team for the second round, but it would make more sense if I used this Pokémon instead. Chances are that D'ana might not have even suspected this and my will's proven to be very strong. I can't lose this no matter what._ The young Aura Guardian glanced at the direction of the real Salon Maiden in the far corner who was still hugging her knees. Anabel seemed to be lifting her head up slightly as only her eyes were so far the only features visible of her face. "This one's for Anabel. Tauros, I choose you!"

"Moo!" Tauros snorted upon release, his hooves clacking upon landing on the ground and three tails whipping from behind. The Wild Bull Pokémon, as Ash suspected, caused a reaction from both D'ana and Anabel; the latter's eyes jolted upon hearing the familiar bovine bellow from Ash's Tauros, slowly moving her head up until the bottom of her jaw reached her knees' level.

"T-Tauros…?" Anabel whispered in awed silence. "A… Ash…" D'ana scowled upon witnessing some life being restored in her host, glaring back at Ash and his Tauros.

"_First Corphish and now Tauros?!_" D'ana hissed outrageously. "_If you think by playing back on old memories on when you faced Anabel would save her, you are miserably mistaken! Your choices of Pokémon mean nothing to me._"

"Maybe not to you," Ash retorted, grinning triumphantly as he managed to instill some hope in the real Anabel. She still stayed immobile at the corner, but had become a spectator to this deciding battle. "Anyway, what about you and Alakazam and Metagross?"

"_Hmph, what I choose is none of your business,_" D'ana rebuffed coolly, her deadly smile forming back on her face. "_Care to start the second round for us, hero?_"

"Pokémon are not 'what,'" Ash corrected sternly, frowning. "And gladly… Tauros, use Take Down!"

Tauros reared his front hooves up and bellowed, starting a raucous stampede towards Metagross. The ground increasingly quaked with every heavy stomp, indicating Tauros' strength connected to Ash's will. The Wild Bull Pokémon gruffly bellowed again, snorting warm steam from his nostrils and stampeded ever closer to the imposing Metagross. Metagross merely stayed inert, patiently waiting for Tauros to move in closer and for D'ana to give it a command. Its steely red eyes steadily locked on upon the incoming Wild Bull Pokémon like a mechanical cursor.

_Meteor Mash!_

"_Meh-ta!_" Metagross roared with a swing of its front right leg, colliding its garnered power against the ferocity of Tauros' head-on Take Down. The clash of brute forces caused a regular backlash to push the evenly matched combatants backwards.

_Now use Hyper Beam!_

"_Meta…!_" Metagross growled, quickly gathering bright energy in front of its hidden mouth within seconds. Ash reacted quickly after recalling Tauros' other useable attacks.

"Tauros, Double Team!"

"Moo," Tauros grunted; a quick, sideways blur swiped through Tauros and created a small horizontal row of illusions of the Wild Bull Pokémon. Together, the Tauros stampeded forward to take on Metagross, who had then fired a potent Hyper Beam straightaway. The bright orange beam swept through the Tauros shadow clones, disappearing upon hitting the last Tauros that vanished as well. Ash grinned proudly. It turned out that the leading row of Wild Bull Pokémon was composed of all illusions that hid the real Tauros behind in their wake.

"Tauros, quick!" Ash called out. "Now that Metagross used Hyper Beam, attack back with Horn Attack!"

Tauros did not need to be told twice as he sped up his pace, galloping faster and faster with his sharpened horns pointing out front. Tauros had soon rammed Metagross' main body from underneath in order to give the Iron Leg Pokémon the full blunt power of his Horn Attack. His attack was sufficient enough to cause Metagross to recoil in pain upon scratch while throwing it up in the air full force. Metagross skidded back after landing, though it quickly brushed off the damage and remained stationary.

_Is this all the power he could muster up?_ D'ana thought, observing the battle with an unimpressed smirk. _Tauros is just the same as Corphish, nothing special. I guess now's the time to completely destroy that foolish boy's hope now._

"Tauros, let's wrap this up with Giga Impact!"

"Mooooo…!" Tauros bellowed loudly to the air before resuming another earthshaking stampede. As he galloped again towards Metagross, the air colliding against Tauros' speeding body heated up greatly as a result of friction. Burning orange streaks flared from the front of the stampeding Wild Bull Pokémon's nose like a falling meteorite caught by gravity and burning up in the planet's atmosphere. The power of Tauros' Giga Impact was further characterized by a bright purple energy barrier encapsulating Tauros underneath the orange streaks. The Wild Bull Pokémon charged in rowdily, picking up the pace with his three tails whipping from behind to vex him further into rage.

"_Like a Ledyba to a Spinarak, you've fallen into my web of lies,_" D'ana remarked sadistically. "_Meteor Mash!_"

Ash was speechlessly taken aback by her boasting demeanor, opting to observe what she meant by falling into her trap. Her Metagross hovered in the air and prepared a shimmering Meteor Mash upon both front leg claws. The Iron Leg Pokémon silently slammed its double attack upon the charging Tauros, causing a massive, explosive repercussion as a result of the collision. Ash's Tauros was mercilessly thrown high up in the air out of the smoke, his condition somehow already considered unable to battle as apparent through the dizzying fatigue on his face. Metagross flew out of the smoke virtually unscathed by the collision, casting the same vicious glare as its mistress did.

"No! Tauros!" Ash cried.

"_End this boring round with Hyper Beam, Metagross!_"

"_Meeeeeh-TA!_" Metagross roared, releasing a huge orange blast out of its mouth posthaste. The Hyper Beam had completely swallowed up the airborne Tauros, obliterating his projected being into nothing more than a traceless memory of ashes. Ash gaped in horror. Though the dark world within Anabel's mind was not real, the gruesome image of something he considered as a living creature, especially his own Pokémon, annihilated heartlessly into oblivion was enough to boil his blood and even match his level of anger with Paul's, in a sense.

"How _could_ you?!" Ash shouted furiously, straining to control his newfound hatred for the dark queen. "Defeating Tauros like that was going _too_ far!"

"_Oh, please, you know this isn't real,_" D'ana scoffed offhandedly, smirking maliciously. "_I didn't think you'd get so worked up this easily. I must say, though, that this battle's quite amusing._"

"Are you seriously getting a kick from giving me all this pain?!"

"_As a matter of fact, yes!_" D'ana declared; Ash fiercely shot a glare back. "_The truth is that I've been getting you worked up so easily is so that I can measure how strong your will is through your Pokémon. After pushing the right buttons on you, you had Corphish show off your strength after I made you felt desperate to defeat me early on._" Ash breathlessly gasped in shock upon the deceptive revelation. "_Now that I've seen your potential, I can say that it's no match against my endless sorrow._"

"So basically, you got my hopes up before beating my Tauros the way you did? That's _sick_!" Ash remarked bitterly, repulsed by such a spiteful strategy. D'ana simply laughed off his frustration in every cruel way possible.

"_Go ahead and take your anger out me,_" D'ana cackled, quieting herself down within a few seconds to point at a certain direction. "_Just seeing you overconfident always makes my day as you easily become careless both as a Trainer and as a person. And remember who REALLY receives the blunt of your anger, Ashy-boy._" Ash followed the gesture and glanced at Anabel, a spark igniting within his head and in his heart on who he was dealing with, like it or not. No matter how cruel and outwardly malevolent Anabel's darkness was, she was still considered as part of the Salon Maiden. It was simply in the nature of man to have darkness, impulsive and unrestraint, to the point where light would enter the picture and guide man out of their destructive behavior. Light was the grace that brought the true nature of man out of the darkness.

Speaking of Anabel, the young woman was reduced to sitting with her knees spread apart and hands by the sides, revealing her pale, true face to Ash for the first time for a while now. She had apparently watched the second round between Tauros and Metagross, yet she did not show signs of total regression back into despair; her expression was simply frozen in time and rendered as fearfully stunned. The rest of her body had gotten cold and immovable as a result of the recent loss. However, despite the brutal ploy her dark side implemented to trick Ash into letting his guard down and ultimately shattering his inflated confidence, her lilac eyes had said otherwise. Ash glanced briefly into her eyes from the distance, feeling the warming flame of hope burning within his heart as he stared into them. There was no way the young Aura Guardian could back down, not after what he had felt from their small confrontation for a long time.

_I know you feel the same way, but what else could I do?_ Ash thought, retaining eye contact with Anabel. Her facial expression did not change, but the light within her eyes had spoken clearly on what he must do. _If she's as strong as she claims, then I'm going to need help from my friends. I'm going to need help from you!_ A powerful mental image soon struck within Ash's mind, reminding him of the bonds he had formed with all of his friends, Pokémon and human alike. It was clear that Anabel's intervention allowed Ash to automatically choose his most trusted friend to help him in these dark times.

"Pikapi!" a familiar cry resonated in Ash's ears. Before he knew it, a perfect memory of his Pikachu had materialized on his shoulder. "Pikachu!"

"Wow, you're a mind reader, Pikachu," Ash commented on the likeness of the Mouse Pokémon. "Looks like my final decision's been made."

"_As is mine,_" D'ana interrupted. Ash and Pikachu looked back at her; Espeon had instantly appeared on the field before anyone else noticed. As with D'ana's previous fighters, Espeon's characteristics were darkened and her interpretation of the Sun Pokémon in her world was more feral than ever.

"Then this really is like our first battle," Ash mumbled, amazed by the mental comparison of it all.

Pikachu dutifully leapt off his shoulder and joined Espeon on the field into an austere stare down. Gold-yellow static crackled out of the electrical pouches of his red cheeks. In an intimidating retaliation, Espeon hissed back venomously much to D'ana's delight, whipping her forked tail in the air onto the ground with a noticeable echo of the cracking sound. Apparently, there was no memory of her true, former self left. This was the final bout for freedom. Cresselia watched from the referee spot in her cage with apprehension, not knowing of the Salon Maiden back in the corner watching on with even greater turmoil.

"… Please…," Anabel whispered, her lips barely moving in the cold atmosphere. "… … _P__lease_… … Ash!"

* * *

**And I'll leave it here for now. As much as I wanted to fit the whole battle here, which I could've, I think that it would have been more fitting to press the suspense more like this. Also, I have the feeling that if I make a chapter too long, like over nine thousand words or so, readers would lose interest in the long text. However, I still don't know the ideal length for a good chapter. I also made the battles pretty short, taking into account that the situation is kind of like a "double or nothing," in a sense. I'm either getting lazy or too conscious over the length of my own chapters. **

**Here's a piece of trivia for your thoughts: Lucian's line about the cycle of life is a close reference to **_**Super Mario Galaxy**_** Rosalina's speech of the star cycle. If any of you played and/or are aware of the storyline, you'd understand. Speaking of which, have you heard of the upcoming sequel for the Nintendo Wii to be released May 23, 2010, **_**Super Mario Galaxy 2**_**?**

**I don't know when I'll be able to update again, hopefully soon. I won't be returning to school for some time for now, but I seriously have other life obligations to attend to. And truth be told, me wanting to try out _Super Mario Galaxy 2_ is the least of my worries.**

**I hope you will take the time to review this chapter. What are your thoughts, concerns, and questions about it?**

**Ciao! **


	40. Remembrance

**Well, I've been busier with other personal things now, even though I wish that I could continue updating this story. On another note, I'm actually surprised on how many people would care if I did actually discontinue this series. Maybe I was being modest or I was losing my drive to continue this series, but I'm really glad to see how many people having taken an interest in my writing. **

**However, as much as I want to say for this story to live on, there really is no telling what the future would hold. We can all dream of the different outcomes the plot could take, but there can only be one path to travel. But before that time comes, I hope to at least continue giving all of you something worthwhile to read. I just hope the content I'm writing now in order to fit the characters would not have to bump the rating up. I don't plan writing an M-rated story and will never plan for it; I just can't see something like that in _Pokémon_.**

**So now, please enjoy…**

**

* * *

**

The chilling air settled upon her dark realm. The characteristically scowling Honchkrow, standing out with his purple feather coloration, and his imaginary Murkrow flock quickly fled high into the eerie moon overlooking the world. The moon's sinister glow was casted upon the lone piece of land floating over an infinite, dark lavender abyss. The aristocratic cathedral building, the only structure situated upon the hovering earth mass, started to collapse and sink into the ground, revealing the final standoff between Ash and the vile darkness queen herself.

Though the peculiar structures and the walls were gone, the battlefield still retained that distressing, supernatural vibe that the entire world had reflected upon. Through their spiritual link as a result of this world, both Ash and Pikachu expressed startling disbelief upon the sudden reconstruction.

"_Thought you wanted some fresh air before we start,_" D'ana remarked offhandedly, coldly smiling at her frustrated opponents.

"This whole stunt of changing the field again looks like another trap, but then again what choice do I have?" Ash mumbled, mentally clearing his mind with a quick shake of his head. Pikachu looked back at him despite being a clear reflection of himself and not the true Mouse Pokémon. D'ana and her feral Espeon waited, apparently wanting him to make the first move; after all, she would not have lingered this long without causing pain. "Let's do this. Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu grunted, sprinting forth into motion with a speeding trail of light tailing from behind. He swerved from side to side with blinding speed, attempting to disorient Espeon's aim. The Sun Pokémon, however, remained still and continued to glare straight ahead as to cover Pikachu's general range.

_Quick Attack and then Iron Tail that yellow rat!_

"_Fie!_" Espeon hissed venomously; thin strands of her once fine fur upon her back stood on end like needles. She disappeared into a blur, much to Ash's utter shock. Pikachu was suddenly thrown into the air as some invisible force, revealed to have been Espeon, gained the upper hand on him. Due to the outmatched terms of speed, momentum, and mass, the Mouse Pokémon was sent a considerable distance into the air as a result of the colliding Quick Attacks.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, only to bite his tongue as Espeon chased after Pikachu and send him down with an Iron Tail smash. His weakened resolved paralyzed his projected being in fear. He could only watch in anguished helplessness as Pikachu was plowed into a small crater upon impact on the ground. Fortunately for the young Aura Guardian's sake, Pikachu leapt back out of his small hole and back into action. "That was a close one… Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa…!" Pikachu growled, golden lightning coursing out from his cheeks to his tail, electricity crackling critically. "_Chuuuuu_!" With a fervent shout, the Mouse Pokémon unleashed his powerful Thunderbolt, tearing up much of the earth as the lightning charge rumbled through towards Espeon.

_Zap Cannon!_

Espeon mutely formed an electromagnetic sphere right in front of the gem on her forehead, launching the Electric attack with relative ease. The Zap Cannon sliced through the lightning current of Pikachu's Thunderbolt, effectively dissolving the opposing attack while maintaining a direct collision course towards Pikachu. The simple trick alone flustered both Ash and Pikachu.

"Dodge it quick!"

"Pi?" Pikachu yelped, his swift feet unconsciously pulling him out from his fearfully rooted spot before the Zap Cannon had landed a hit. The electromagnetic field of Espeon's attack slightly grazed Pikachu by the back, even though the attack was evaded for the most part.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried, clenching his teeth tightly in anger. _As much as I don't want to believe it, D'ana's completely leading me in a circle._ His emotions were agitated further as he witnessed the imaginary representation of his Pokémon buddy being thrown about like a rag doll as Espeon had her way with him through swift strikes of Quick Attack. "It's _not_ going to end like this! Pikachu, wake up! Use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu's ears twitched upon response as they would, bringing the Mouse Pokémon back to his sense long enough to escape Espeon's onslaught.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu shouted, regaining his footing on the ground and dashed forward. "PikaPikaPikaPikaPika…!" His small body was consumed by a powerful, golden-electric aura, leaving the darkened outline of his body as the leading nose of the brilliant Electric attack.

"_You're starting to lose it, little man,_" D'ana smirked. "_Espeon, play with him with Psychic!_"

"_Ef-fiiiiie…!_" Espeon growled, narrowing her sharp, glaring eyes solely upon the oncoming Pikachu. Her Psychic power immediately took dominance of the Mouse Pokémon's body, leaving the Volt Tackle-charged Pikachu to run around and around and around in a circle upon the center of the battlefield, much to D'ana's cruel amusement.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted at the top of his lungs, roaring anxiety swelling deep within his stomach. Though he knew that the Pikachu fighting on his behalf was not his real best friend, the young Aura Guardian had trouble emotionally comprehending the fact that he should not be too overly concerned over Pikachu's personage's well-being. Nonetheless, he was further blinded into panic as Pikachu was continuously tormented by Espeon's controlling Psychic.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled back, but his voice was drowned out by the roars of his own Volt Tackle.

The blazing electricity of Volt Tackle slowly faded away, leaving Pikachu flying in circles under the Sun Pokémon's mental hold. The final round, although rather one-sided at this point, continued on in the same pattern. Every attack Ash called out for was easily countered and overpowered; for instance, Espeon's dark boost made her swifter in terms of Quick Attack, and with her anatomical size towering Pikachu's, it was basically no contest. As for Pikachu's remaining repertoire, Thunderbolt was easily torn apart by a single toss of Zap Cannon and Volt Tackle was useless if Pikachu could not even get close to Espeon. Every failed attempt pulled Ash down into further doubt and despair, which had weakened Pikachu's battling ability as well; his breathing became shaky as the cold slowly ensnared his body. In the meanwhile, Anabel watched gloomily from the corner, ever worried about the deciding battle of her future.

"_What's wrong? I thought you wanted to play with me,_" D'ana taunted, leaning over on a hip and cackled. Pikachu was giving off palpable signs of fatigue, yet she still had Espeon continue to roughhouse with the Mouse Pokémon just to give her more of an arousal.

"This is just abuse now," Ash muttered grimly. His fist tightened upon every painful yelp escaping Pikachu's mouth. Espeon had kept the Mouse Pokémon pinned under her paw and was simply whipping him without pause with Iron Tail. The battle he chose to endanger himself in to save Anabel had been reduced to a twisted form of playtime for the manifestation of her dark, evil side. He felt the inside of his soul tear up, as though he was letting down more than just Anabel; he was failing himself and the honor of Pikachu as the Mouse Pokémon continued to cry out for mercy. "PIKACHU!"

* * *

"Pi?" Pikachu grunted; his ears involuntarily twitched up. He glanced around, wondering where someone was calling his name. There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as the Mouse Pokémon knew, at least at their current location at an Oasis Poké Spot in the Orre region. Lucario was still keeping a sharp lookout for anything unusual while Gallade guarded their Trainers' unconscious bodies.

… _Pi… kachu…!_

"Pika?" Pikachu sensed the same presence calling for him again, yet the voice was a bit more audible than the first.

"_Pardon?_" Gallade inquired, slightly scratching the scar upon his voice box. "_It's a wonder on how anyone can understand you, especially since you still have your voice intact._"

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu explained, claiming that someone was calling for him even when there was no one else around besides themselves and Lucario. It was also unlikely that the latter would be requiring Pikachu's assistance, given his unavoidable aura-honing abilities. Gallade gave the Mouse Pokémon a skeptic look, much to his chagrin. Pikachu wound up looking away in a huff. _Jeez, you didn't have to act like a jerk and jump to conclusions like that, o' brave, scarred soldier._

"_I heard that,_" Gallade grumbled, lowering his head darkly before Pikachu. "_Just because we used to have a sort of camaraderie shared between comrades before I gave my allegiance unto Lady Anabel, that doesn't mean I would not resort to making you see things my way through any means._"

… _Pika… chu! …_

"Cha?" Pikachu gasped; someone was calling out for him again. This time the voice was loud and distinctive enough for him to distinguish whose it was. _It's Ash!_ Overhearing the Mouse Pokémon's thoughts while observing his strange behavior, Gallade widened his eyes in shock before looking down upon the young man's body in front of him. "Pikapi!"

Gallade stepped aside as Pikachu made his way to the bodies. The Blade Pokémon was well aware of the possibilities of such phenomenon, realizing that Ash must have been able to contact Pikachu through some special method. However, the time for him to ponder upon such enigmas was not to be as another supernatural phenomenon transpired upon Anabel's body in the form of a small glittering light upon her forehead.

"_What's this now?_" Gallade queried. Before he could have examined the light himself, Pikachu had beaten him to it and was about to recklessly stick in a finger before thinking twice about it; he was Ash's Pokémon, no doubt. "_Wait, Pikachu. I wouldn't—._" The Blade Pokémon's warning was a moment too late as the glittering light upon Anabel's forehead intensified and seemingly engulfed Pikachu before his eyes.

"Pi… ka…," Pikachu moaned before collapsing unto the ground next to his best friend's head. The Mouse Pokémon had fallen into a similar stupor as Ash and Anabel had from what the mystified Gallade noted.

"Ru-Rah," Lucario beckoned, approaching Gallade on what had happened behind his back.

"… _That,_" Gallade pointed out dryly; another life was sent in to save the Salon Maiden was the main story of their lives now.

* * *

"Anabel… I'm sorry… for everything," Ash mumbled under his breath. The front rim of his hat shadowed his despondent auburn eyes, unable to look at Pikachu being whipped beyond limit by a sadistic Espeon and her equally demented mistress. The guilt had been haunting him for so long now; this had been one of his greatest mistakes ever. "I'm no hero… not when I can't even save myself…"

The pretentious, emotional moments that amassed within him have been gradually overwhelming him. No matter where he turned or looked, the palpable, painful truth continued to smack him upright in the face. What Ash thought, which meant believing that leaving Anabel for her safety in order to take the entire responsibility for Reverse-Cipher, would have been a safer bet originally than having her stay with him and become a target as well for Reverse-Cipher to pick off. Yet no matter how he looked at it, she would have been in danger regardless of the circumstance. These were dark times they were all dealing with now, and the young Aura Guardian was often too narrow-minded and stubborn for his own good. If he were to take responsibility, he would have to realize the true reasons why he, Anabel, and Paul went to the Orre region in the first place.

"… I… I have to stop this, but how…?"

"_Give up yet?_" D'ana asked mockingly. Ash's attention was brought back to the field where Pikachu was being held up on the fur on the back of his neck by Espeon's mouth. The Mouse Pokémon was bruised and disheveled, barely unconscious as he was as he hung loosely by Espeon's miniature fangs. "_It didn't matter what happened earlier as I was in control the entire time. Corphish… Tauros… you could have picked a baby Togepi and I still would have won the battle. Now I repeat, have you enough brain cells to realize the futility of your rescue? Apparently, Pikachu has already._"

"No! Pikachu… Pikachu would never give up!" Ash retorted back heatedly, built-up anger and uncertainty causing him to tremble.

"Which is why _you_ shouldn't either, Ash!"

The abrupt intervention alerted both Ash and D'ana to the far corner behind the latter. There she was, the real Anabel, standing tall and radiating immaculate light from her being, which was bright enough to slice the dark air around her into oblivion. No longer was she curled up in her own misery, but now fighting for her own freedom after witnessing Ash continuously putting his life for her, even if it was to remedy his past mistake.

"_How? You shouldn't be standing after everything your pathetic little boyfriend's been put through!_" D'ana hissed. "_And to top it off, these were your own vicious intentions you desired upon him through ME!_" At the same moment, a bright radius of light expanded from Anabel like a consuming explosion. The bright veil passed right through Anabel's evil incarnate, to which she had been reduced into her less powerful form that resembled the Salon Maiden herself. D'ana felt herself shrink from the voluptuous older woman into the thin, late-blooming body of her former teenaged self, gazing upon her hands with the rest of her body following after in vehement disgust. "You… how could you?"

"No way…," Ash whispered, awestruck by the sudden reversal. "But why now?"

"We're a team, Ash, and we'll always be one," Anabel replied, smiling softy as she clasped her hands upon her chest. "I'm sure you realize that everyone is needed to take down evil, whether it would be Reverse-Cipher or my dark side. By the way, here's one more addition to our team that you should never forget, besides me." With an encouraging wink, the Salon Maiden directed her hands upon the field where Pikachu and Espeon were. A glittering cloud of light materialized from her hands and flew to the field.

"What's going on?" Ash asked. He observed Anabel's light making its way into Pikachu's limp body, reviving and refreshing the Mouse Pokémon back to full strength almost in an instance. When Pikachu opened his eyes, Ash noted the difference immediately. "P-Pikachu?" Unlike before where his eyes displayed an average to dull life reflected upon his own, new will was brought into the Mouse Pokémon's personage. The restoring power had also forced Espeon to release her clamp upon Pikachu, to which he quickly countered with an Iron Tail to force her back further.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried joyfully, running up to the enthralled young Trainer and leaping into his arms like his true best friend would.

"It is you!" Ash exclaimed. He deeply hugged the snuggling Pikachu close to his chest before glancing at Anabel, extremely grateful for the gracious assistance. "It's time that _everyone_ gets to work together. After this, I'm definitely going to bring Paul back with us."

"But for now, you're going to deal with me!" D'ana interrupted, a glare of fury marked behind her eye mask. "There's no way you could have just gotten that much stronger. I've already measured the limited strength of your will alone just by goading you with your Corphish and Tauros. They mean _nothing_!"

"Key words, D'ana: 'my will alone;' I never really was alone, nor should have I subjected you to this," Ash countered, looking at Anabel one more time. "Right now, the only thing I'm worrying about more than dealing with you now is forgiveness."

"Don't trivialize me!" D'ana screeched; she had lost all ounce of control. "Espeon, attack him with Zap Cannon!"

"Pika!" Pikachu grunted, instinctively jumping out of Ash's arms. The personage of the Mouse Pokémon was now composed of the willpowers of both Ash and Pikachu. Without a single uttered command from the young Aura Guardian, Pikachu engulfed himself within the golden electrical cloak of Volt Tackle and intercepted the Zap Cannon. Much to everyone's surprise, Pikachu remained active and darted in the air like an electrical missile heading straight towards Espeon.

"Espeon, stop that rat with Psychic!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu shouted quickly; he was swifter to the draw. The enhanced power of Volt Tackle as a result of his and Ash's combined might, along with the absorbed Zap Cannon, had basically devastated Espeon upon the slightest shock. The impact created a backlash that carried the weakened Sun Pokémon into the air along the shockwaves.

"Attack while Espeon's down, Ash!" Anabel advised.

"You heard her, Pikachu. Use Quick Attack!"

"Pi!" Pikachu shouted, rising out of the smoke of the previous explosion and speedily chased down Espeon with a ramming tackle.

"Now use Iron Tail!"

"Chuuuuu-Pika!" Pikachu yelled with all his might, bringing the finishing blow with his tail upon Espeon. The dark Sun Pokémon mewled in defeat upon strike; the strength of Pikachu's Iron Tail had actually forced her to dissolve and retreat.

The entire room fell into a frigid, hollow silence upon Espeon's defeat. The lavender moon of the dark world sinisterly shone down upon the nightmarish mistress. D'ana grimly lowered her head without a word. Uncertainty still waft around, but Ash's latest victory prevented the proud Trainer from even sensing the lingering danger.

* * *

"And that's game, set, and match," Ash commented, smiling upon his ultimate victory. D'ana kept her head bowed, her face unseen from anyone else. "So D'ana, how's about you let me and Anabel walk freely out of here?"

"Big mistake…," a low, ominous hiss whispered from D'ana. Anabel's eyes widened from the horrific realization dawning upon her, but before she could have spoken out to save Ash, her darker incarnate snapped her fingers for another atmospheric change.

"Ash, watch out!" Anabel cried, attempting to reach out to him from their far distance apart. Her feet slowly budged from their spot, regaining her mobility from despair little by little. Ash was taken off guard when four cold, metallic chains slithered out of the ground and separately ensnared his wrists and ankles.

"What the…?" Ash shouted, struggling to pull his wrists but was rendered helpless as he was pulled into the ground. "What is this?"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called out, but was subsequently captured by a miniature spherical cage resembling Cresselia's. "Chah… Pika-chu…" The Lunar Pokémon merely watched Pikachu's grief and remained still in her cage by the referee box. There was nothing she could have done in her power to help and she had nothing else to say, but to pray and hope for the better outcome to triumph.

Something started to emerge underneath the earth where Ash was pulled into. It turned out to be an opened altar stone coffin with the young Aura Guardian being suspended over the opening through his chain bindings. The coffin was raised vertically, holding Ash up as though he was a disgraceful prisoner facing scheduled execution.

"This isn't fair… D'ana," Ash growled, the entire experiencing having shaken him up a bit. "I won, so let us leave!"

"Lettuce leaf? No, thank you," D'ana cackled, smirking her vicious, predatory smile. "I thought you remember who I was, being the evil mind that trapped you here in your lover's distressed world. You really should have known better than to trust me to uphold my end of the bargain."

"Let him go… now," Anabel warned calmly, yet her crossed lilac eyes otherwise screamed furiously at her dark counterpart.

"Or else what? Little Anabel's going to cry?" D'ana suggested sardonically, mimicking a child in pain sobbing and wiping away fake tears from her cold eyes. "You won't be the only one crying here."

Another portentous snap of her fingers had beckoned a brutal force from the open violet sky. A small speck of jet black was seen approaching them from the center of the moon. The blackness was shown to be growing and expanding as it got closer to them. Anabel was slowly gasping, attempting to control her growing apprehension for D'ana's next torture session. The visibility upon the black was clear enough for it to be deciphered as a flock of Murkrow led by the alternate-colored Honchkrow descending upon them like a curse. Without command, the flock sped their descent with Aerial Ace. All together, they rushed in towards Ash, bound by chains in his large coffin.

"Ash!" Anabel cried out helplessly. The young man struggled breaking out of his chains, but the purple Honchkrow and Murkrow followers efficiently flew in together, maintaining their individual Aerial Aces before combining into one group attack.

"Now dive up!" D'ana commanded.

Instead of colliding straightforward into Ash, the flock of darkness turned ninety degrees upward practically right in front of his nose. However, the scorching speed of their combined Aerial Aces partially slashed Ash, the streaks of hot white friction tearing away at his outfit. His shirt was obliterated before falling off into pieces of rags. Ash felt fortunate, though, that his jeans did not suffer too much disfigurement aside from small various gashes on the pants' legs and one large swipe on the left leg revealing part of his boxers; upon realizing the latter, embarrassment swelled in his reddened face as there happened to be two young women were presently looking at him.

"Uh, what?" Ash mumbled awkwardly. His coffin tilted and brusquely landed onto its back, catching him off guard as he released out a pained shout.

"What you're doing to him isn't even rational anymore," Anabel pointed out. "Please stop this."

"Since you said 'please,' I guess I'll just… laugh in your face and continue indulging in your carnal desires for you," D'ana stated as plain as day, smiling out of place within her dark realm. "Time to continue. Bring in the candle wax!"

"C-Candle wax…?" Ash groaned, still dazed from the Murkrow flock's attack and his open coffin falling back. He looked up to see the purple Honchkrow carrying a steel bucket with his beck. For a moment, the young Aura Guardian could have sworn that he imagined Paul's face within the Honchkrow. "Whoa… If _you've_ been reduced as her servant, I couldn't imagine how this would be like in real life. That'd be a laugh seeing you pushed around by the same person you've put down now and then."

"Krow…!" the Honchkrow growled, an angered nerve apparently struck by the comment. Ash could have also imagined Paul's hardened scowl glaring at him at this moment, but it might have been delirium from his exhaustion affecting his judgment.

It did not take long for him to snap out of his disoriented state once the stinging, burning sensation of hot candle wax insidiously poured out of the bucket took effect on his abdominal area. Ash bit his lip to stifle the first rising urges to scream as the wax seeped down the sides of his torso. Though this took place within Anabel's mind, he felt like he would be driven to madness before he could ever be reunited with his body and be on his way. His agonized grunts escaped his lips a few times, but only when the purple Honchkrow surprised him with bubbling drops at random intervals, as ordered by the nightmarish mistress. It did not take long for his screams to finally burst out full volume as the wax stung and burned his skin upon contact.

_No…! I refuse… aah… to be broken… yow… like this… yah-ha…,_ Ash thought with his face constantly contorted, enduring through the pain while thinking about how to escape. It was hard to concentrate on anything with hot candle wax dripping brutally upon his exposed stomach and chest.

"It would have been easier if he'd just give up and be mine," D'ana remarked, watching the torturous display in a dreamlike trance. "But then he'd still end up chained and on my beckoning. Ah, I love it when things work out in my pleasure."

"Then I suppose this is the time you realize the pain you've cause."

"Yes, I… Wait, what—?"

_Slap!_

D'ana stumbled backwards, momentarily bewildered by the loud slap Anabel sent against her cheek. The slap was strong enough to knock off her wicked eye mask. The moment slowed down as soon as Honchkrow noticed D'ana attacked. With a quick flap of his wing, Honchkrow directed several members of his flock in Anabel's direction. With shrill cries, the Murkrow flew in towards the Salon Maiden. Anabel prepared for the worst and braced herself with her arms covering her face. The Murkrow flew at her and subsequently ignored her.

"Huh?" Anabel gaped in disbelief. She was too surprised by the fact that the Murkrow ignored her that she did not turn around to see D'ana being swarmed by the vengeful flock. Her screams were drowned out by the summoning calls of the Darkness Pokémon, sending for more Murkrow to assist them. Anabel turned around little by little to discover the Murkrow merging together, the blackness taking form around the dark mistress as part of her imprisonment.

"W-What the hell? A _well_?" D'ana screamed as she fell into the bizarre structure the Murkrow formed, her echoing shrieks ending upon hitting the water at the bottom with a loud splash. Anabel still could not believe her eyes.

"Hmph!" Honchkrow grunted, tossing aside the bucket of candle wax while still maintaining a hostile glare upon the chained Aura Guardian. Ash stared back, unsure of what to consider the Honchkrow as since his cronies actually saved Anabel instead of fighting for D'ana.

"Ash! You're okay!" Anabel called, running up to them. Ash was about to reciprocate the greeting, but was cut painfully short upon a direct hug by the Salon Maiden. He bit his lips shut with a hoarse groan; fortunately, Anabel backed off quickly after realizing the discomfort her concern caused him.

"Ah… that's better," Ash mumbled upon Anabel's release, looking back up to the scowling Honchkrow. "Hey, uh, Honchkrow? Can you help me get down from here?"

"Well, I suppose I could," Honchkrow replied in a gruff voice extremely analogous to Paul's, much to Ash's surprise. "You've really got a lot to learn before you can go on playing the reckless hero in the real world." Honchkrow straightened out his wings and promptly used Night Slash to sever the chains binding upon Ash's wrists and ankles. The young Aura Guardian fell into the wax-filled coffin with a thud before he could have prepared a proper landing for himself once out of those chains. Fortunately for him, the wax stored inside had cooled and hardened inside, which meant no extra pain for him.

"Gee, thanks for the nonexistent warning, Paul," Ash grumbled, stepping out of the coffin before stumbling into Anabel's arms. "… Wait a minute; did I just call you 'Paul'?"

"Just because I sound like him, resemble him in terms of personality because of your girlfriend's imagination, and am a Pokémon he owns in the real world doesn't mean that I am Paul," Honchkrow explained brusquely, looking away. "In any case, I guess I should be thankful that you had the nerve to bring the real Anabel back to her senses. Honestly, me serving her dark incarnate was just plain humiliating and pathetic."

"You're welcome," Ash replied, feeling sheepishly uneasy from witnessing the ironic resemblance the shiny Honchkrow pointed out. He chuckled lightly, accompanied by Anabel as she helped Ash stand up straight. From their cages, Pikachu and Cresselia sighed in relief that everyone was safe, and most importantly, Anabel was freed from her despair. "Come on. Let's go free Pikachu and Cresselia."

Before Ash, Anabel, and Honchkrow could have made their way to helping the trapped Pokémon, the ground began to quake. The insidious threat was not over yet as the trembling was at its strongest by the well D'ana had fallen into. An inhuman screech echoed from the well, giving the three of them the possible veiled horrors they have yet to face against Anabel's dark side.

"I recommend _not_ going to that well," Anabel suggested before looking at Honchkrow. "And why haven't any more Murkrow form a lid to that well?"

"I'll deal with those slackers later," Honchkrow grumbled, glancing downward in mild frustration. "… Slackers that _you_ thought up for me, by the way." To Ash, listening to them argue felt like a punch of nostalgia in his gut. In situations such as these where he was the only one wise and sane enough to be a mediator, his judgment told him to warn them of incoming peril.

"Uh, guys?" Ash spoke up, indicating a disturbing presence heard climbing up the cobblestone well.

The freezing tension tightened upon the trio as something was finally seen emerging out of the top opening of the uncovered well. Anabel held back a frightened gasp. Honchkrow gazed at the emerging figure with sheer incredulity. Ash stood close and in front of them as protection for whatever threat D'ana had left them to make their escape a living hell. A head of unkempt lilac hair covering the face arose out of the well, still dripping wet from submergence at the bottom. She crawled out of the well menacingly, hair still plastered entirely in front of her face. Ash felt a sort of sickness within his stomach while Anabel fought off the urge to faint from such a hideous sight. However, the both of them stood close together and held each other in an unshakeable embrace as Honchkrow hovered from above; no matter what happened next, they were finally glad to have each other once again.

"Ash?" Anabel queried.

"What is it, Anabel?" Ash asked, steadily looking at her while the crawling horror inched out of the well and to their direction by hand and foot.

"For goodness sake, will you two stop it with the romantic last minute dialogues?" Honchkrow interrupted austerely. "It's because you two keep feeling it up that you're in this mess." Upset by his rude intrusion, Anabel looked away in a huff and kept silent while Ash felt guilty about all this. D'ana faced Anabel's direction before standing up on her feet. In a furious hiss, she trudged over to the traitorous Salon Maiden. A bloodshot, rapacious eye glared from between the gaping, separated strands of disheveled lilac hair towards Anabel.

"You… _bitch_!" D'ana screamed murderously, effectively launching herself with the maximum intent of punishing Anabel for her betrayal. However, Ash stepped in front of her path, arms stretched out to take the full assault to protect the Salon Maiden.

"Ash!" Anabel shouted, involuntarily closing her eyes before the horror had struck them. Before any of them knew what happened next, a bright pillar of light emerged between Ash and D'ana, taking the form of the tall, mature guardian memory Ash had encountered in Anabel's mind before ultimately facing D'ana.

"Y-You!" Ash grunted, surprised that the guardian had appeared in front of him of all convenient times.

"I admire your audacity for saving Anabel, but now that she is finally back up on her feet, leave this one to me," the guardian replied with his back to him. He held his hands out to catch the pouncing D'ana. "It's time this miniature adventure came to an end and thrown back into the sands of history."

* * *

Another bright flash had come upon them, this time affecting the entire dark world. The intensity of the light momentarily blinded the entire company to the change that was to come about. It had only taken a few seconds, but the transformation of the world that the guardian had instigated was quite significant. The entire world D'ana had shaped was basically annihilated and wiped clean, save it for the background lavender color. The entire company was left hovering in empty space. Pikachu and Cresselia were freed from their cages and immediately joined up with Ash and Anabel. As for the company, there were huge changes as far as they saw aside from Ash's clothes being restored from the Murkrow attack, except for one.

"Is that… D'ana?" Ash inquired.

The woman sleeping serenely upon the guardian's arms bared a sort of resemblance to Anabel, excepted she was aged approximately the same as the guardian as far as anyone could determine. She wore a fair dress of silk and lavender with the top matching a similar pattern to Anabel's blouse. Her dainty arms were finely gloved, but she was strangely barefoot. Her peaceful face was gorgeous, but there was just something about her sleeping facade that was just simply beautiful beyond words. Her lilac hair was well-groomed and kept in a bun behind her head. Ash also noticed a simple locket hanging around her neck placed upon her bloomed bosom.

"Okay, I've existed in Anabel's mind for a good amount of time, but I'm practically as clueless as Ash about this whole thing," Honchkrow remarked, much to Ash's chagrin.

"Oh, now I remember who you are," Anabel motioned to the guardian, but not before clamping her mouth shut with a hand. "And because I remember your promise, I can't divulge your true identity to anyone."

"What?" Ash and Honchkrow growled.

"Easy now, my friends," the guardian gestured, settling the both of them down. "While it's true that my identity cannot be shared as it is a secret Anabel promised me in the real world, I can tell you this tale of mine."

"Anabel, when did you meet this guy?" Ash asked.

"Well, it's kind of, um, when you were competing in the Sinnoh League Conference," Anabel surmised from her memory to the best of her ability, twirling her index fingers together. "At least, that's as much as I can tell you."

"What do you mean?"

"Please, don't give her any unnecessary hostility, Ash," the guardian recommended coolly, glancing upon the sleeping beauty in his arms. "Otherwise you'll wake her."

"Okay, from the top, what is going on?" Ash queried impatiently.

"I'm with him on this one," Honchkrow concurred, perching himself on Ash's shoulder opposite to where Pikachu was. Before Ash could have forced him off his shoulder, Honchkrow sent him a sharp glare along with an open wing. "One move and your head and Pikachu's will be soiled upon."

"You wouldn't…"

"If I may," the guardian intervened, "I'd be willing to share some of my origins, though I warn you, you may not be able to fully comprehend this tale of mine."

"We'll do our best to keep up," Honchkrow replied.

"Very well," the guardian cleared his throat. "Because of my appearance, you may have the impression that I'm an aura guardian. That much is true. However, before I continue, I would like to apologize in advance for certain things I've told you in the past, Ash."

"Uh, sure, go ahead," Ash shrugged.

"I am an aura guardian that Anabel met at some point of her life, but you must now also realize that I am an aura guardian that had existed back when Pokélantis was a thriving empire," the guardian began. Unsettling shock had set in upon Ash and Honchkrow. Anabel, who already knew the story by heart, merely smiled back.

"But… that's _way_ back, even before Sir Aaron!" Ash commented incredulously. "You could be like my and his ancestor or something."

"As I was saying, I served as nothing more than a common soldier in service to the king," the guardian continued, though looked rather peeved from the interruption, but there was an underlying reason for his subtle anger. "The king, back then, was essentially greedy and power-hungry. He used his charismatic charms to urge his people to conquer more land outside of what would be known as the Kanto region. His kingdom would eventually be connected and rooted to the lands of Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. However, his thirst for power did not stop there." The guardian sighed, shaking his head to calm himself down. "The king wanted more power. He wanted…"

"… Ho-Oh," Ash filled in, memories of being possessed by the king resurfacing. He remembered being called reckless and a stupid child by Pyramid King Brandon upon hearing the supposed legend of Ho-Oh trapped in a stone orb within the discovered tomb. However, as it turned out, the orb contained the spirit of the wicked king who sealed himself inside due to the failure of capturing Ho-Oh. Anabel glanced at him with concern.

"I can sense that you have the basic idea of the king's conquest, Ash," the guardian noted, stroking the tender pale cheek of the sleeping maiden. "Perhaps I should go on explaining why the woman you faced earlier is like this now, correct?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Ash nodded solemnly.

"Right. Anyway, while I continued to serve the king with the utmost distaste, at some point of my services, I met a beautiful young woman during one of my missions in Pokémopolis, a civilization that greatly opposed the King of Pokélantis. Though she was not the princess of the land, I could have sworn she was. I simply found her one day in a lush forest talking to these amazing creatures you now refer to as 'Pokémon.'" He glanced down upon the peaceful young woman and sighed yearningly. "When I asked where she was from, she told me that she and her family migrated from the early lands of Hoenn after Kyogre and Groudon retreated into hibernation. It was also that time that the king attempted to develop powerful artifacts to control those creatures just to further his own strength."

"What happened?" Ash asked.

"I don't remember the ultimate fate of those creatures, but all I can truly recall is how often I snuck out of the kingdom just to see her again. There was just something about her that made me completely spellbound to her every week I escaped to see her. In fact, I was hoping to have a chance to start a relationship with her once we found a way to escape the king. However, my affairs were eventually discovered by the king and his forces… and from there, we were captured and taken prisoner."

"That's really terrible…"

"Pika…"

"That's not the worst thing to have happened to me. Furious at my secret agenda and convinced that I was plotting to overthrow him, the king demanded that I… compensated for my misdeeds," the guardian gulped, guilt and pity swelling within his throat and momentarily preventing him from recalling his painful memories. "The king, he wanted my lover as his bride…" As expected, a cold silence had fallen upon the group. Even Ash, who would have been driven to a rage, was respectful enough from speaking out of term. His seething expression, however, was difficult to conceal. "My beloved one blatantly refused to marry the king, no matter what threat or torture he executed. She refused to let me go when she should have as we were both powerless against his rule. Eventually, the king was fed up with her resistance and ordered his men to take her to the darkest chambers underground for dark magic experimentation for the rest of her life. The last thing I've ever heard from her was a scream saying, 'I thought you loved me?' before she was taken down to the magic chambers and hexed upon for the remainder of her days.

"That scream had haunted me ever since. I've been blaming myself for being so weak, so powerless to have protected her. It was from that point on that I started an open rebellion against the King of Pokélantis to finally show him the error of his ways. I've recruited as many people and Pokémon as I could, but the kingdom was ultimately destroyed by Ho-Oh, the same force that had driven the king into madness. However, the king did not give up there and would find a way to rebuild Pokélantis one day, so he used a spell experimented upon my lover that would imprison his spirit for centuries to come until he found a vessel worthy to recreate his fallen empire. As such, I forced my own spirit, out of sheer guilt for failing to rescue my lover, to wander the earth in order to prevent the rise of the evil Pokélantis King."

"What happened to your lover?" Honchkrow asked.

"She had died cursing the world for separating us, and through the dark magic the king's sorcerers practiced upon her, she became a vengeful spirit that would try to steal men from other women to fill the infinite black hole left in her heart. I could tell you the tale on how she ended up sealed within Anabel, but that will be told another day."

"_But then, what does that make you?_" Cresselia inquired.

"This woman who gave you such tribulation is indeed the spirit of my lover, but I'm nothing more than a memory Anabel created to ease her loneliness," the guardian explained. "Because of her exposure to black magic, she has taken it upon herself to harvest off upon Anabel's negative emotions to ensure that she would never have to suffer like she did. I must tell you, though, that heartbreak and other painful, passionate moments are the only things capable of overwhelming her and thus created the dark entity you faced."

"This really explains it all," Ash mused thoughtfully. "But what happened to the real you again?"

"My spirit had finally crossed over to the other side now that my lover has been saved from her curse, which had kept her lost and vengeful, and is now waiting for her return," the guardian replied. "The only way she can finally pass over is if Anabel's time had come as well. Once the body expires, the spirit or spirits must depart and move on."

"_Well, we're all grateful for the explanation and all, Mr. Guardian, but shall I do the honors of restoring the right from wrong?_" Cresselia suggested.

"You may."

"_Ash, Anabel, Pikachu, you better hang onto each other tightly,_" Cresselia advised, focusing her psychic power upon the three of them to send them back to their bodies.

"Don't forget your next objective: finding 'me,'" Honchkrow added, smirking with a raised brow.

* * *

" A… A…sh… A… Ash… Ash…?"

"… H-Hm?" Ash groaned, stirring himself awake. His eyes slowly opened and blinked, awakening to the sight of Anabel, Pikachu, Lucario, Gallade, and Espeon watching closely over him. "I'm… I'm back?"

"We all made it back in one piece, Ash," Anabel pointed out, holding onto the eye mask in her hand. She was still in the lascivious apparel her alleged dark side dressed her in. "I'm really glad that you came back for us, for me."

"_We are truly grateful for you rescuing Lady Anabel and bringing us back to sanity,_" Gallade added, bowing politely with an accompanying nod from Espeon.

"I'm glad, and thanks to you guys for protecting our bodies while we were trapped in Anabel's head," Ash mentioned, recalling Lucario into his Poké Ball after his acceptance of the praise. Gallade gave a respectful nod back before being recalled back along with Espeon. "So, we're finally back together, huh?"

"More or less," Anabel surmised. Ash somehow noted a cool tone within her voice.

"Is there something wrong now, Anabel?" Ash asked.

"Aside from the fact that we still need to find Paul and stop Reverse-Cipher from doing as they please, everything's just… peachy," Anabel sighed.

"O…kay?"

"Look, Ash, after everything that has happened since our breakup and our reunion in my mind, I've been thinking over some things while you were still recuperating from the whole ordeal," Anabel explained. Ash felt his throat swell up apprehensively. "Right now, it's best if we don't pursue a relationship. That way, I wouldn't trouble you when my heart breaks and the guardian's lover goes berserk again."

"Anabel?"

"I still love you, that much is certain, but my heart cannot take any more right now," Anabel added, stopping Ash with a hand before he could have advanced towards her. "Maybe I was blinded by love, but the fact remains that it caused us trouble in the past. I never knew how much it could have."

"So what are you saying?" Ash asked calmly.

"I'm saying that we should just remain friends, teammates in this case, and be able to live freely without being bound to another," Anabel suggested softly, placing a hand over your heart. "And if it pleases you, you're welcome to pursue a relationship with another girl."

"What? What about you?"

"I'll also be available to do the same, but right now, I've still got a lot of personal issues to work on…"

"Like what?"

"Dealing with Paul once he rejoins the team. Don't worry. I have _no_ interest in him if that's what worries you."

"So wait, you're not going to pursue a relation, but I can? That isn't right!" Ash proclaimed. "I mean, why are you torturing yourself like this?"

"The simple truth is that I can't deal with this crap any longer!" Anabel scolded, a rare side of her anger surfacing. Ash was still dumbfounded by the minor swearing she did. "If there's anything I've learned while at Orre, then it's time I put them to the test. I'll be by your side since I also have the power to help you stop Reverse-Cipher. But once this incident blows over, then we'll just have to see where our futures lie."

"Anabel, are you sure you're alright… about this?" Ash queried, still feeling unsure about all of this. He glanced into her lilac eyes, and despite the hardening sadness replacing the once vivid shimmering of innocence, understood her sincere resolve behind her decision.

"I'm fine," Anabel replied. "Now let's find a place to settle in before night falls."

* * *

"Pikapi Pi Pika Pika-chu," Pikachu finished. Recounting a small section of the tale was not an easy feat, but he managed to withhold to the best of his knowledge. It had only taken him up to sunset to recount that much.

"Did you get that, Lila?" Leon asked. "Those were some powerful messages Pikachu provided for us. Even you couldn't have… Lila?" It took him long enough to realize that his sister was in meditative thought.

"I can't believe it, I just can't," Lila murmured, slowly glancing up to meet her brother's face. "Yeah, I heard you, Leon, but I've been thinking about something now that I've got to ask Mom directly."

"What's up now?"

"If what Pikachu said was true, that Mom and our Dad had remained separated after reuniting, then does that mean that he still loves her?" Lila proposed. "I mean, how are we even here in the first place?"

"Wow, even I have thought that far ahead," Leon commented, pondering. "I'm surprised that you haven't been concerned that our Mom was controlled by a malicious she-spirit. After all, that might have resulted in your defects." The younger twin brother was soon silenced with a quick backhanded smack of Lila's fist.

"Idiot! Now's not the time for that!" Lila retorted. "Don't you even care about Mom's happiness?"

"Don't call me an idiot, super-idiot!"

"How about I—!"

"Lila! Leon! It's almost dinner time!" Grandma Delia called out to them from the door. "You'd better wash up!" She noticed them still with Pikachu, Espeon, and their eggs. She went over to them, who greeted her back as though nothing happened, which to Delia was a result of interrupting another sibling quarrel. "By the way, kids, your mother has recovered from her little 'episode' and will back up and at 'em tomorrow. She's already had her dinner and is now resting."

"I'm glad Mom's okay, even though she couldn't tell us the tale today," Leon said.

"But still, we shouldn't push her until she's ready to talk to us again," Lila recommended.

* * *

**I'm glad to have finally gotten this part out of the way. The "Finding Paul Arc" will take over from here. I also wonder if you all have caught the reference to **_**The Ring**_**. I heard that **_**The Grudge**_** is a lot scarier as I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. Anyway, I guess I had horror movies in my head when making this. As for Ash and Anabel's current relationship, well, let's just wait for what will happen next.**

**As for the brief tale from the guardian, it is a brief spoiler for my planned prequel for **_**From Servant to Stardom**_**. I don't know when, or if, I could get to it, but that little legend would be a main part of it if I ever get to moving on to it. You'll know more about them from there as it takes place way earlier than right now.**

**I hope you will find the time to review this chapter. What are your thoughts, questions, and concerns about it?**

**Ciao!**


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